Ex Machina (8 out of 10); Directed by Alex Garland; Starring Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac; Written by Alex Garland; Rated R for graphic nudity, language, sexual references and some violence; 108 minutes
Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina” is a quiet, nuanced film that examines the relationship between man and machine. It held its U.S. premiere at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival, and the sci-fi film was theatrically released in April and is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
The film relies heavily on low conversations and subtle background music, but this approach works with the stellar performances of the minimal cast and the intelligent script. Garland also wrote the screenplays for “Never Let Me Go,” “Dredd,” and “28 Days Later.”
In his directorial debut, Garland brought together some of today’s finest talent to create intriguing dynamics between the main characters.
Domhnall Gleeson portrays Caleb, an employee of the world’s largest internet search engine (like Google), who wins the opportunity to spend a week at his boss’ house. He discovers that he is part of an experiment to assess a robot girl for artificial intelligence. To see if she has a consciousness. Caleb projects charm, vulnerability and innocence. Gleeson, thrilled to land the role, said that he read the script in an hour.
Nathan (Oscar Isaac) is Caleb’s boss and his opposite. He is aggressive, bullying, and clever. He’s a heavy drinker that appears to live mostly in isolation. He’s complicated, though. His sleek, modern home is the birthplace for incredible cutting-edge technology, and yet it’s set against a gorgeous mountainous landscape instead of a city. Isaac describes the shoot as being quick and pressured, but he loved the opportunity to finally work with Garland after having once auditioned for “Sunshine” and failing to get the part.
Both Gleeson and Isaac, already brilliant actors, will likely see their fame ignite this December, when they appear in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Gleeson’s role is still shrouded in secrecy, but we do know Isaac is a pilot sent on a mission by a certain princess. Isaac also plays the title role in “X-Men: Apocalypse” next year. (Though I have now given up hope of seeing Mr. Sinister in the film.)
Ava (Alicia Vikander) is the robot at the heart of story. And though she has no heart, she intrigues Caleb and draws him in with her words and appearance. Garland explains that Vikander was trained as a ballerina, and she has extreme control of her physicality. Through her nuanced performance, she attracts the audience and encourages them to be protective of her. Vikander calls her a bit doe-eyed, but as a machine, who knows the level of intelligence lurking beneath those pretty features?
Now available to own, the home releases contain: “spellbinding extras including an in-depth behind-the-scenes featurette [Through the Looking Glass: Creating “Ex Machina”] that examines the story development, the cast and characters, the production design, cinematography and location shooting in Norway, costumes and makeup and finally, visual effects along with a wrap-up. The discs also contain a Q&A with cast and crew from SXSW and eight vignettes.” ·
“Ex Machina,” though a bit slow in the beginning, quickly picks up the pace and poses important questions, like what does it mean to be human? At times enlightening and disturbing, it’s an eye-opening look into the capability of thinking machines.
A copy of “Ex Machina” was provided for review purposes.