Ex Machina is a film that deals with what it is to be human through the interaction of an AI and a programmer. The film centers on Caleb, who won a contest to meet and spend a week with Nathan, his company's CEO. Upon reaching the mountain retreat, Caleb discovers that Nathan is working on an AI project and meets Ava, a fully realized female robot that houses the AI. Nathan wants Caleb to judge whether or not Ava passes the Turing Test. By passing the Turing Test, Ava would essentially prove that she could pass as a human.*
I'm not going to delve any farther into the plot. I don't want to ruin the movie for you. I just want to give you an idea of what it is about and whether or not it is worth watching. Let's discuss the nuts and bolts of the film.
The casting and acting are quite good in Ex Machina. For anyone that recently saw the new Star Wars flick, you get to see Poe Dameron and General Hux hanging out.** The actors all do a good job of convincing you of who and what they are portraying. The young lady playing Ava, does a great job. She feels almost human, which is the point.
As far as production values go, we're once again treated to high quality. The sets look great and feel real. The special effects are also well done. Technically, Ex Machina is well put together and crafted. The soundtrack also adds to the overall tone and does so quite well. I was actually reminded of Kubrick's films, so I was excited to read in the trivia that Kubrick was an inspiration for the director/writer, Alex Garland.***
All the pieces fit together nicely, but does the movie actually make you think or feel? I'm happy to report that the answer is yes. I may not have been 100% on board with the ending, but I liked the movie overall. There is a fair bit of tension at times, and it is an interesting look at being human and where the line is for all of us. Does creating something give you ownership over it? What if that something is sentient? When does it stop being an item and start being a free creature? Who decides? How do they decide? Ex Machina drives these questions but doesn't really give you an answer. It's great in that it forces you to decide, to make your own decisions. It leads you to the water, but you have to decide whether or not to drink.
If you like science fiction and have two hours, watch Ex Machina. I grabbed it out f the Red Box with a promo code, which made it a very good, almost free to watch movie. It isn't full of action, but it tells an interesting story and engages the viewer. We really need more movies like this.****
*You may already be familiar with the Turing Test, but if you're not, I'm going to give you the pop culture overview. The Turing Test is the idea that an AI would need to have a conversation with a human and pass as human while doing so. It states that being able to hold a conversation in a realistically human manner is the final step to a fully realize AI.
Boozy Buzz would totally pass
the Turing Test.
**That's the rebel pilot and the general of the First Order. If you haven't seen Star Wars, stop reading this and go watch it. I'm talking to you, Pasco. Seriously, you're killing me, Smalls.
We went to the premier. Where were you? We
totally saved you seats!! Seriously, our
theater was mostly empty. It
was awesome.
***In case you're wondering, he also had writing credits for Dredd and Sunshine, both movies I enjoyed.
****Don't get me wrong. I'm a huge fan of big explosions and action beats, but you shouldn't have the same meal every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment