ex macHina  3.5***

 

    “Ex Machina” is the best science fiction film on artificial intelligence since “Blade Runner” which was an action thriller that relied more on its epic visuals to tell its story. “Ex Machina” is a dialogue-driven psychological thriller that slowly works its way under your skin. It is thought-provoking and quite suspenseful.

 

The story primarily involves only  three characters :  an employee (Caleb) of a Google-like search engine company who wins an "employee lotto" to spend a week with the CEO (Nathan) at his reclusive estate. The twist is that Caleb's real purpose in being there is to participate in an experiment with Nathan's newest invention:  the world's first true artificial intelligence, housed in the stunningly beautiful female robot Ava (Alicia Vikander) The experiment is for Caleb to determine through interaction with Ava whether or not Ava has real human qualities and feelings or whether she is only faking it. There's an ever growing sense of mystery and suspense as the story moves along  that someone is being played, though you’re not entirely sure who and why until near the end. The film also draws similarities to "2001: A Space Odyssey" and  “Her” though they are very different in tone and content.  

 

A top notch cast keeps you absorbed in this tense,  psychological thriller that blends big ideas with intimate character drama. Oscar Isaac is great as the enigmatic tech CEO, Nathan, a youngist bald and bearded, muscular alcoholic, who is brilliant but unpredictable. Domhnal Gleeson is likeable as Caleb, the geeky all around good guy computer programmer. But the star is definitely Alicia Vikander as the beguiling Ava, who absolutely passes for being 'almost human'. Her precise movements -walking, standing or stooping to seductively pull up a pair of stockings- have just that slight tinge of the uncanny about them to suggest a mechanical skeleton, yet she is undeniably seductive. You can really understand Caleb's mental plight as she begins to show signs of a sexual interest in him and he in her.

 

The ending is somewhat surprising and may not be what you would hope for but is in keeping with the unknowns ….the enigma of artificial intelligence .

 

Rated R for graphic nudity, language, sexual references and some violence.

 

Clark