Ex Machina Review

"The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race." 

That quote is not from the brand new science fiction masterwork by Alex Garland Ex Machina but rather the honest and haunting words of Stephen Hawking. Consider that even if the movement towards such an era seems glacial, with each passing day the world is getting closer and closer to a time when machine is the equivalent of and eventually superior to man. Perhaps humanity and A.I. can coexist, even form strong personal and emotional bonds with one another. Perhaps the advancements we make will lead to a safer world. A healthier world. A world in which we live not only longer, but better as well. Hawking makes no guarantees with his ominous thoughts on what could happen. He only warns of the possibility that moving forward does not guarantee ideal results.

Still though...what if he's right?

I pondered this as I witnessed the deliciousness of Ex Machina unfold, with every word of the screenplay sublime, full of thematic richness and content so layered it clearly demands repeat viewings. In the back of my mind I wondered if I would be here to see the day when we will be able to look at our own technological creations and feel inferior. The brilliance of this film is that it may now be science fiction but throughout every single moment I could practically see it becoming science fact. In what is amazingly his directorial debut, Alex Garland creates a world that is both bright and dim, a world so crisp and futuristic and alive and yet it somehow also feels soulless and claustrophobic due to a lack of natural light. A world muted in tones of grey that is transformed into a piercing sea of red within seconds, as if we are being reminded that things may seem calm now but be alarmed: it won't stay this way.

Oscar Isaac, whom I continue to not only harbor a man crush for but it intensifies with each passing film, plays a vastly wealthy man named Nathan who runs the world's largest internet company, and one day he chooses a young employee, a coder named Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) to be flown out to his home to participate in a top secret experiment. Caleb is welcome to just hang out and drink some beer and shoot the shit with Nathan, but in order to gain full access to what lies beneath he must sign a confidentiality agreement that what he sees, what he experiences must stay between them. It is here that we discover that Nathan isn't just working on developing the first ever true artificially intelligent being, it already exists. Her name is Ava.

I make no secret of my passionate admiration for real good science fiction and Ex Machina is even more than that. It is truly great cinema, featuring top notch performances, chilling cinematography and an eerie, perfect score. The dialogue is intelligent and thought provoking, the pacing is a perfect slow burn without ever feeling languid. God, with every word I write I want to watch it again more and more. Seriously, it's that great.

The plan is to perform an experiment to see if the artificial intelligence has reached the point of the technological singularity, the moment when we are no longer in control of robotics but rather they are capable of taking control of us. The chilling thought is, how will we know we have reached this moment until it is already too late? What if when we think we are testing out the A.I., it is actually capable of manipulating us?

5/5

The Theory of Everything Review

Stephen Hawking truly is a remarkable man. His achievements, especially while fighting his battle with ALS since he was diagnosed at the age of 21, are beyond extraordinary. He has literally changed the way the world thinks and has provided humanity with a better understanding of existence. Just trying to comprehend his Wikipedia page gives me a headache because it is so vastly consumed with career accolades and discoveries and important personal life information.

Thus, you can imagine my disappointment when his biopic The Theory of Everything turned out to be rather unremarkable.

It isn't a bad film by any means. In fact, it is quite good, but it also constantly felt safe and familiar, like I had seen it all before. Reminding me very much of the tone and beats of the former Best Picture winner A Beautiful Mind, in a year when I have been challenged by the ambition and scope of films like Interstellar and Boyhood, nothing about the story or the filmmaking during The Theory of Everything felt audacious and unique enough to really leave a lasting impression.

I actually found myself a tad annoyed during the film by the usage of lighting, as I found techniques that are often times used more subtly during films to be ridiculously on the nose, specifically during the more well lit, positive moments. I noticed the opposite during various scenes, like when the bad news of Stephen's illness is delivered to his girlfriend, and the frame was overwhelmed by the drabness of a lifeless blue, a cold setting for a moment deserving of it, but I didn't find this to be jarring or bothersome. However, during joyous moments, like the first time Hawking holds his baby or a later sequence when he sees the woman he loves, sunlight pours in through the windows and makes the subjects in the frame glow almost angelically. Instead of merely demonstrating warmth through color and sunlight, director James Marsh forced me to practically squint in order to follow the scene. I appreciate using mise-en-scène to set the mood, but this went above and beyond and felt forced rather than natural.

On a performance level though, that is a whole other story with The Theory of Everything and worthy of any award recognition that is sure to come. Felicity Jones is excellent as the first wife of Hawking, Jane Wilde, and she perfectly compliments the show stealing, sublime performance by Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking. Without yet seeing this film, I picked Redmayne to walk away with the Oscar for this role based on early word of mouth alone, and now that I have experienced the performance I will not be changing that pick. At his worst, Redmaybe was excellent, and at his best he WAS Stephen Hawking. I was blown away by the transformation and the authenticity that he brought to the screen, it truly is something special that everyone must see to appreciate.

The Theory of Everything finds itself running with the top dogs towards award season, and the best analogy I can make as to why I feel it doesn't belong in the Best Picture hunt involves figure skating at the Olympics. Some films out there are going on that ice and attempting the most challenging, innovative routines, understanding that to slip a little or not land a move perfectly is acceptable when the overall product is extraordinary. The Theory of Everything is the skater who goes out and plays it safe and simple in order to land everything perfectly, technically a fine show but no one will remember it for years to come.

Except, of course, for those performances. Eddie Redmayne? Give him the damn trophy now.


3.5/5