Ex Machina

"Damn you limited releases!!"

That's basically what I've been saying the past several weeks as I frustratingly and periodically checked movie times for Denver, Colorado.

Ex Machina is a film that has had positive reviews, hell, glowing reviews, for quite some time now and it looks like a sci-fi lover's dream of a film. By now, you probably know that I'm whole heartedly a nerd, albeit probably not your typical one. But a nerd nonetheless. I say that unashamedly because I don't find it to be a bad thing. Science, math, space, and lore fascinate me. They allow us to think of our world in different ways than just the mundane.

I digress severely. Anyway, finally Ex Machina (pronounced "X MOCK-EE-NAH or X MOCK-EH-NAH) came to Denver, kicking and screaming it would seem as theaters slowly picked it up this last week. I've seen several of my peers' reviews, ones that I trust, and the premise for the film looked to really take a true, scientific look at the theory of artificial intelligence. Interestingly enough, it seems that there is a lot of interest in the subject going around this year and  since I'm guessing that Age of Ultron won't really dive too deeply into the theories, and we all know CHAPPiE didn't really do anything special with the premise, I was hoping that this film would finally be my intellectual ticket to a scientific possibility that is truly not just "if" it's going to happen, but "when".

Given my excitement for the film, and all of the stellar reviews and word of mouth it has garnered, it's little surprise that I found it to easily be one of the best films of 2015 so far, if not the best.

Well...this is awkward...

Ex Machina starts simply and overall has a simple premise. Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a contest at his company to go spend a week at the secluded CEO's private estate. And by private I mean that you have to take a helicopter and hike along a river to get there. It's obvious right off the bat that this film is gorgeous as it features wide shots of the natural landscape (of what I'm guessing is the Pacific Northwest or somewhere around there). Only 5 minutes into the film and director/writer Alex Garland has already proven that he has tight control over what he is doing. Caleb eventually meets Nathan (the soon-to-be-in-Star-Wars, Oscar Isaac) the CEO and he introduces him to his project of AI, named Ava (Alicia Vikander). Nathan delegates Caleb to "test" Ava through interviews to determine if she is truly sentient. To give anymore of the plot away would break my heart so I'll stop there. The film is expertly constructed and progresses logically throughout -- wrought with tension in most scenes and a thought that begins to form in the back of your mind that something isn't quite right here. Unfortunately the film's biggest, and pretty much only, hiccup is the final 1-3 minutes that occur after what I envisioned was the end of the film and truly what should have been the end of the film. The final minutes don't ruin anything at all, they just don't add anything either and they detract from a tense climax significantly.

"This is my brain after I read the Episode VII script.
Fell right out of my head!"

Who is truly the test subject?

Small quibble aside, the performances are stellar. Gleeson is full of wonder, but we slowly begin to see that breakdown and be replaced by worry. His facial expressions have to do a lot of acting here and he excels. Isaac, as always pretty much, is great playing a mysterious, borderline alcoholic developer who seems just a bit...off. Humorously so at times, but dangerously so at others. Truly though, it's Vikander as Ava that steals almost every scene. She teeters the line of robotic and human so eerily it makes me wonder how much she had to practice her voice, its fluctuations and inflections, her accent, etc. Same goes for her physical motions. The performance coupled with some amazing special effects work really brings this being to life and it's quite a sight to watch. The gorgeous film also has an underlying current of sexuality to it, also attached to Ava, which in the initial trailers worried me (read: weirded me out), but the film does a good job at making you realize that our sexuality is part of what makes us conscious and living. In other words, it's ok to be attracted to Ava.

There in lies the film's biggest strength: its script. It's surprisingly funny at times, but some of the conversations between Caleb and Nathan about what truly identifies something as having it's own conscious capacity are outstanding. They aren't just a bit of science garble, but rather carefully chosen words that are trying to convey a message to the audience to understand the true crux/dangers/possibilities that lie in artificial intelligence. There were some scenes where I was holding onto every spoken word like glue and I love it when that happens in a theater; when you are excited just by simple dialogue. 

The new Jedi fight not with lightsabers, but with DANCE!

There isn't really much more to say about Ex Machina. It's acting, production values, script, direction, and premise are all outstanding. If you're a sci-fi fan, or just a general fan of science and "unknown" territories, treat yourself to this film.

It's a fun, intense, and thought provoking time at the theaters and an expertly crafted look at a scientific possibility/danger that is getting a lot of attention recently.

CONS:

• The final few minutes really aren't needed and detract from what would have been a superb "high-note" ending
• The original score is fantastic, I just wish there was more of it. It seemed very sparingly used
• Overall, the ending was slightly less mind-blowing than I was anticipating and trying to predict

PROS:

• Gorgeous cinematography, sound design, special effects, etc. This is one very well made film all around
• Great direction and amazing script from Alex Garland. Some of the convos between Nathan and Caleb are deep and truly enlightening
• The plot progresses logically and the pacing is spot on
• Strong performances across the board for some truly complex characters
• Specific mention has to go to Alicia Vikander as Ava. Not only is she gorgeous, but she presents us with a character, or being, that even we as an audience aren't truly sure is "alive" or not
• The theme of sexuality is actually brilliantly implemented and explained. So many truths are spoken about it throughout
• Good original score
• Dance scene, for the win!
• Technically profound, thought provoking, and all around enjoyable. Ex Machina is one of the few "must see" films so far this year

Rath's Review Score: 9.5/10