Ex Machina: an expertly done artificial intelligence
themed film. The movie opens with a software company employee winning an
employer sponsored contest. The employer is a Google-like search
engine company owned by an individual named Nathan, played by Oscar
Isaac. As the prize for winning the contest, employee Caleb (Domhnall
Gleeson) gets to spend a week with Nathan. The next sequence shows Caleb
flying via helicopter to Nathan’s estate. Caleb asks the pilot how much
longer until they arrive. The response is that they have been flying
over the estate for the past hour. We learn that Nathan’s home is
also his laboratory and research facility. We also learn that Nathan
has created Ava, a strikingly beautiful female A.I. being. Nathan
wants Caleb to assist him in testing Ava to find out whether she really can
think for herself. The central concept of this film is the Turing
test: If you don’t know you are talking to a computer, would you think
the computer is an intelligent being? A series of conversations
occur Ava and Caleb and a separate set of conversations between Nathan and
Caleb. The fact that Nathan’s home is designed as a “man cave”
helps retain your interest pending the start of the action segment. For
most of the movie there are only four characters, with the 4th
character being Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), who is the cook and Nathan’s sleep
mate. By stepping beyond just a voice, as in Her, writer and
director Alex Garland establishes a more intricate A.I. character and a more
complex film. During the film’s 110 minutes, a fascinating set of
relationships develop. Part of the reason the film works so well
rests with the character of Ava. Alicia Vikander is
superb. There is a violent scene towards the end of the movie and,
after seeing the movie, you may question whether the development artificial
intelligence is a good idea. This is Garland’s first film as a
director. I think we will see more. I found the film to
be fascinating and enjoyable.
