Deweys Movie Reviews: Ex Machina

And here is another story with robots, but very different. 

Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is a young programmer at a huge tech corporation, and he wins a company contest--the prize being a weekend with the company's founder--Nathan (Oscar Isaac)--at his remote, isolated home.  Nathan is a tech genius, and it is like getting to hang with Steve Jobs and Stephen Hawking at the same time.  

Nathan is a bit of a drinker, and a little eccentric, and he drops a huge bomb on Caleb: He has been working on artificial intelligence, and he has a robot that he wants Caleb to meet.  As Caleb and Nathan debate and kick around the concepts of artificial intelligence, and the nature of humanity, Caleb understands that he will be running a Turing test on the robot--to determine if she has a personality, and is "human," and should be shown to the world (or if she should be scrapped as a flawed prototype.)  

Yes, the AI is a "she"--Ava (Alicia Vikander)--and she is a marvel.  A lithe figure that is part human (her face has perfect symmetry) and robotics (like she had rolled out of an Apple lab), Ava presents an alluring and otherworldly presence.   Caleb sits down with Ava, and he is drawn to her, and she to him.  He has many sessions to determine her emotional intelligence, and he marvels at her ability to draw beautiful pictures. 

 Meanwhile Nathan keeps running mind games on Caleb, and soon he begins to doubt his boss' intentions.  Rolling power blackouts effect the house, and Caleb has to make a decision on how much of a prisoner he wishes Ava to be. 

Writer/director Alex Garland has made a fascinating science fiction film here, steeped in intelligence--you have to keep up with the film; not just for the philosophical and technical debates of Caleb and Nathan (and Caleb and Ava), but in the plot twists, as everyone is hiding their true motivations and true intentions.  The film counts down to an inevitability, and I was somewhat let down by a more conventional ending than I was expecting, but movies don't get more intelligent and challenging than this one.  Gleeson is a fine young actor, doing great work here, holding his own with the force of nature played by Isaac (who may be my favorite actor right now.)  Vikander has a tricky role as Ava, and she nails it.  

Ex Machina is not a light exercise in cinema this one, but an incredibly rewarding one to the viewer looking for something more meaty than the average fare.  Grade:  B+.