Ex Machina (2015)
2015
R
108 Minutes
Caleb, a coder at the world's largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrive...
User Review
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Alex Garland's directional debut is one of the most intriguing films in the last few years. Garland of Sunshine and Dredd fame brings a film that is serious, philosophical and constantly asking questions of itself. Now available on Netflix this film is one for the sci-fi buffs.
This tense sci-fi thriller finds itself set majoritively inside a completely unknown location in a present to near future time period. The cast is as stripped back as the location, lending to a really edgy, independent feeling from the get go. The house itself is a treat for the eyes and something of a dream for me and my design-minded peers. The few interiors, whilst being drool worthy, nod back to designs made famous in the 90's and ooze sophistication and taste. We immediately build a picture in our mind of who could live in a house like this. Whilst not to overplay the raw opulence of the settings their importance in the narrative becomes ingeniously considered with both the sterile and minimalist settings being juxtaposed by the incredible natural surroundings. Jumping between the two promote a truly uncomfortable feeling of claustrophobia and uneasy tension.
With the feelings of both animosity and awe settling we are immediately thrown into Caleb's (Domnhall Gleeson) meeting with Nathan (Oscar Isaac); a genius and reclusive technology mogul who has a proposal for a revolutionary experiment. Isaac plays the egocentric Nathan perfectly. Vastly intriguing and charismatic but at the same time deeply unlikable. The sinister note of foreboding on his introduction is assisted in part by the brilliantly disturbing soundtrack. In complete contrast we immediately fall for Caleb as he embodies obviously admirable qualities and whilst bringing his own technical genius to Nathan's house we know his innocence is a trait to be exploited.
Ava is the AI prototype that is the subject of this week-long experiment and Alicia Vikander portrays her with ultimate perfection. The delicate poise and her ethereal motions are intricately played. There is a very tight line to walk when playing a robot in film. To remain engaging without becoming comically robotic in a performance seems something of a fine art but it can be done so well. Fassbender's 'David' from Prometheus and Alan Tudyk's performances as both 'Sonny' from I robot and 'K2SO' from Rogue 1 are in my opinion, equal masterclasses in this niche art. Vikanders' however is a very purposeful performance; one executed with ultimate machine-like perfection. Coupled with the physical performance, Ava brings an intoxicating whirring from her visible mechanics that assists the immediate awareness of her robotic nature, but this quickly becomes far from the thing in question. This leads us to the underlying purpose of the film that slowly and eerily unravels.
Caleb is our main protagonist, a highly intelligent character but incredibly naive, and in complete awe of Nathan's applied genius in Ava. He is tasked with 'testing' Ava for Nathan. This testing comes with daily sessions of conversations. As the days go by and sessions go deeper, the film intensifies and the tension builds. Misdirection is everywhere and you find yourself constantly questioning the motives of every character.
Ex Machina is a deliciously creepy, deeply philosophical and intelligent film. Garland's story is original and deserves attention, It'll have you on the very edge of your seat and we can expect even greater things in his future. It has you questioning the motives of all three main cast members, the philosophy behind artificial intelligence, human nature and the 'social' world we live in.
Joe Luker - StickAroundBlog
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