Ex Machina (2015)

[K1stpierre]

Discuss

[antovolk]

And it took all of under 2 weeks to top Kingsman for me.

 

A deliciously chilling four-man show, and extremely visually impressive despite the mostly claustrophobic but still absolutely stunning setting. The film's ultra-clean and almost sterile visual look is one of its big trump cards, which is a fantastic contrast to the performances, especially the chemistry between Isaac and Gleeson; with the former's more laid back demeanour drawing some of the best, if not slightly uncomfortable laughs and moments of levity, all playing off against Gleeson's geeky awkwardness. But of course they play both off the brilliant Alicia Vikander, whose steely, chilling, calculated but at the same time seductive, engaging and almost sincere performance was the real standout. Really reminded me of Rosamund in Gone Girl for some reason too... Also special mention to Sonoya Mizuno for her almost even more chilling omniscient presence.

 

And the film itself is like Vikander's performance, it's a slow burn, almost clinical and very much ballerina-like film, and this sort of tone serves the story and the performances perfectly. Without going into spoilers, much like Gone Girl and maybe to some extent even beyond that, you don't know the characters' allegiances and whether they're truly good or bad, the ambiguity here is key too. You'll still be left with your mouth open and in a state of shock by the end though, and once again, much like Gone Girl, this film really taps into some of the audiences' weak spots, in this case regarding the internet and how it affects us.

 

Try go cold with this, don't watch the international trailer and watch the A24 one if you need to. Feel sorry for all of you having to wait until April because dammmmmmmnn.......

 

9/10

Edited January 21, 2015 by antovolk

[rahvinn87]

Wow. This was the first 2015 release film I've seen so far and it sets the bar high for the rest of the year.

 

Every one of the cast members gives an excellent performance. Oscar Isaac somehow goes up another level in my estimations with his portrayal here of a corporate boss who is, on the surface, cool and chilled out but has a subtle air of unpleasantness and ego about him that gets further and further exposed as the film goes on. Domhnall Gleeson plays the geeky loner programmer very well, pulling off just the right level of awkwardness and vulnerability.

 

But the real star of the film is Alicia Vikander. What a performance. I am not kidding when I say that if this was a 2014 release her performance would comfortably have been in the top 5 of the year for me among actresses. Playing an android isn't easy, but she perfectly captures the cold and alien 'robotic' nature of Ava together with a real feeling of humanity and sensuality. It is a mesmorising display.

 

You would never believe for a second that this was Alex Garland's debut as a director. It is presented with the assured, delicate and careful touch one would expect from an experienced director. I am genuinely excited for his future works.

 

Plot spoliers are best avoided at all costs for this one. The twists and turns of the story, together with the mystery and intrigue surrounding the motivations of the various characters, are definitely a key part of what makes this such a gripping and compelling watch.

 

I simply hope now that this film is rewarded with the box office performance that it deserves.

 

Highly recommended.

 

9.0/10

[4815162342]

Man, Caleb and Nathan were so focused on Ava's consciousness that they forgot to look at something even more basic and important: Her morality, or lack thereof.

 

The final shot of Ava among the crowd is interesting and can be taken a couple different ways.

[AniNate]

This feels like one of those movies that people are going to refer to as shorthand for the dangers of technology. It's creepy, atmospheric, thoroughly engaging, and features three fine performances. My favorite film of the year so far and I'm eager to see what Alex Garland's planning next.

Edited October 4, 2015 by tribefan695

[4815162342]

Caleb's fate seems to be haunting, but on the other hand when you think about it everyone in the company is going to know he's missing within 24 hours (along with Nathan not being in contact) and they know where he last was, so they'll be sending in people to check it out. So Caleb should be rescued while still alive and the company will find out everything that Nathan was up to, which would create quite the big freak-out in the company and in the world at large.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Numbers of Westeros

[AniNate]

Bet that chopper pilot will be fired

[4815162342]

Bet that chopper pilot will be fired

 

Yeah. I thought at first that Ava killed the pilot but there's no way she would know how to fly a helicopter.

[Avatree]

But how did Ava get back to Gotham?

[4815162342]

But how did Ava get back to Gotham?

 

 

 

 

Keep that out of here

[Ezen Baklattan]

Pretty fantastic film that dives not just into the potential fears that could come from AI, but also the fearful and distrustful components of human nature as well. All four  performances were great, and the film is aesthetically powerful, but there's so much more to it beyond praising its components.

 

Watching Nathan abuse his previous AIs likely created a distrustful image of humanity in Ava's eyes, which may have been a potential component for her deciding to leave Caleb trapped in the house. It becomes interesting when the character motivations aren't as clear cut as others.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Spaghetti

[Avatree]

One of the really interesting things for me is that unlike many AIs in movies, and despite being created by all human knowledge, Ava doesn't have access to human information, she knows nothing - in many respects she's a "pure" human, perhaps the most humane of the film's characters, even if she's technically a cold robot. A newborn child, impressionable and innocent. Even though she turns into a killing machine, she doesn't have to be that way; and I got the sense that she wasn't totally aware of what she was doing or why she was doing it.

[Mojoguy]

Wow, I loved the movie.

I just love these minimalistic low budget small cast Sci Fi films. I wish more of them were released every year. Three characters locked up in house while something is going on. We have Caleb the dorky main character, Ava the pretty robot who is more than what she seems, and the brilliant jerk inventor Nathan. The actress that played Ava was a standout. I really loved her in the role and was memorized whenever she was onscreen. She is already one of my Sci Fi characters.

The movie takes its time to reveal more and more of the story. We are pretty much along for the ride. The visual effects were nicely low key.

The only thing I thought was odd was Caleb's cliche plan at the end with Ava. Thank god for that final twist which made the movie a thousand times better. The ending with Ava was so open. Not really a happy ending since the future is so uncertain.

[Avatree]

Not really a happy ending since the future is so uncertain.

But it wasn't an unhappy ending either, in terms of the future. Yes, she may go on to take over the planet and exterminate the human race - but she might instead choose to blend in and discover herself. There was plenty of evidence for both sides of that ending throughout the film, and it's a wonderful ambiguous end which had earned my respect by the time it came around. A lot of films think it's good enough to make an ambiguous ending without any thought, but Ex Machina is a case of you getting out of it what you put in, and the film makes you think hard enough before the end, that it's allowed to be as ambiguous as it is.

[mattmav45]

Slow-burn high-concept sci-fi cinema.

 

One's like or dislike of this film may in fact be tied to their thoughts regarding the phrase above.  For me, such phrase brings thoughts of slow-cooked ideas that are developed gradually and change in an organic manner throughout the run time.  Moreso than dominance of any one character, it is the films' ideas that dominate in my best-case scenario.  Thankfully for the viewer, such is very much the case here.

 

Caleb is chosen by Nathan to come out and inspect his A.I. specimen at his house/laboratory.  This is not necessarily a new idea in the sci-fi world as A.I. consciousness has been a relevant theme for decades now.  What does separate this film is the handling of its ideas and the dynamics within.  

 

This is a film that understands that sci-fi will always be most effective with the the mere presentation of ideas.  A good idea alone takes on a whole persona of its own, and this is where the slow-burn aspect of this film comes into play.  This is a film where the ideas are the viewer's guide, and as more details come into the fray, the viewer is once again free to take them wherever they wish.  In many ways, one can look at this film as placing a variety of ideas in a simmering pot, and letting the tension/suspense boil throughout the run time.

 

For all the talk about A.I. intelligence, I feel much of the film's ideas are found in the bridge between A.I. intelligence and human emotion.  It was the contrast between the two that makes this film work on so many levels.  Specifically, can there be legitimate consciousness without emotion?  It's interesting how the characters of Caleb/Nathan and their dynamics within are crucial in the foundation of the ideas.  The best sci-fi stories are typically ones with a human element.  Thankfully for the viewer, this is a film that uses humanity and emotion as the springing board and energy for the entire film.  

 

In an indirect way, a celebration of humanity.

[MovieGuyKyle17]

My review

https://soundcloud.com/knreviews/ex-machina

[IndustriousAngel]

wooow great great movie, at least 8/10 but probably rather 9/10 when I have a little longer to think about it or watch it again. Very straightforward, nearly the prototype of a story - even Wellsian in its simplicity - and captivating by way of some great performances (after this and "Inside Llewyn Davis" Oscar Isaac is the nr.2 actor for smart assholes, after Christoph Waltz).

[IndustriousAngel]

.... Even though she turns into a killing machine, she doesn't have to be that way; ...

You call that a killing machine? I'd call it self-defense. This was her only way out of prison (and destruction); she would have avoided it if possible but Nathan stood in her way. Ava being able to hurt and even kill Nathan is, for me, the most direct hint that she is, in deed, self-conscios (assuming there were some strong blocks in her programming against hurting Nathan).

[bdeck312]

Man, Caleb and Nathan were so focused on Ava's consciousness that they forgot to look at something even more basic and important: Her morality, or lack thereof.

The final shot of Ava among the crowd is interesting and can be taken a couple different ways.

I wondered the same thing about that last shot. It almost looked like disappointment.

[bdeck312]

Yeah. I thought at first that Ava killed the pilot but there's no way she would know how to fly a helicopter.

Couldn't she have downloaded that knowledge or something? Although, I'm not sure that's how these versions of A.I.s work so you might be right.