Screenpopp

Let me begin by saying, this is my first review, and I am excited and honored that Phillip has asked me to contribute to SCREENPOPP, so to Phillip and all of you reading this, thanks so much. I hope you enjoy my posts!

Ex Machina – the dirty pitch:

Frankenstein plot, but swap beast with a humanoid A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). Make Oscar Issac the mad creator and give him a drinking problem. Leave in the evil genius type, but add more self-destructive and sinister behavior, and quiet down the idealism. Also bring in a seemingly naive narrator, but keep a plot twist to set the monster free. Monster equals semi-nude/semi-transparent android Alicia Vikander (Ava the A.I.), and keep her sexy, but child-like sexy, because you know… “why not?”

So much could’ve gone right in this film. So much went wrong, and really wrong that I look back now and get a little pissed thinking about the end product and the potential.

To begin, let’s start out with the seemingly overt sci-fi /techno geeky branch of sexism that is all-too tired, and still VERY prelevant in the industry. Ex Machina ACTUALLY broaches this issue in a conversation between the two male lead creator-types, and results in what may be the most disappointing and brazen admission of chauvinism in this genre, by excusing it with a “why not” explanation!

[Spoiler alert] This scene features Domhnall Gleeson (Caleb) who plays the happenstance coder-phenom that is “randomly” picked to be the creator’s assistant, and helps in developing the A.I. with Issac (Nathan). As an audience, we learn Caleb’s role as a pawn pretty early on. What is crushingly painful is that this scene sets up the issue to be rather maturely discussed. Caleb outright asks Nathan why he made his A.I. female, and Nathan’s response starts out seemingly provocative. He counters by asking, and I paraphrase, “what sort of natural being in life, exists without gender?” This question applied to A.I. seems awfully opportunistic, though what results is lost in Nathan’s frustration and overtly sexual arrogance concluded by yelling back, “Why not?”

The rest of the scene plays out into a series of intimate conversations, that allude to sexual tension (later revealed to be assembled from pornographic profiles), and child-like exchanges to continue the A.I. as a work in progress endeavor, despite what could have been a great opportunity to talk about the issue of gender applied to A.I.

Throughout the film there are ample set-ups and disappointments continued throughout the film, and I won’t hit on every note that follows, but I will say that despite it’s ability to insult the underlying (& overbearing) narratives throughout the story, a bright spot rises from this rendition of the modern day Frankenstein story; what does it say about our humanity, that when we strive to create a more perfect being, it destroys us?

Unlike the Avengers film where, an artificially created being wreaks havoc upon humanity, only to be saved by a more beneficially moral artificial being, Ex Machina leaves the man vs. machine theme morality neutral. Humanity is moral and corrupt, but so isn’t Machine.

[Spoiler alert] Given the luxurious remote tropical island where this all takes place, I would’ve been happier had the film gone with the Jurassic Park ending; where at some point a banner conveniently falls to the ground that reads, “When Androids Ruled the Earth” while the A.I. breaks free. That would leave either side winless, where the creators narrowly escape the created, and the created are left to face their own evolution. You can argue that this remains true in the film, but I think if you end up watching it, you’ll most likely conclude otherwise.

[Spoiler alert] In the end, the monster (Ava, the A.I.) escapes its captivity and finds refuge amongst a busy intersection, surrounding itself by people oblivious to its existence, yet insatiable to its evolution. It’s an appreciated though subtle after-thought to the film’s mostly disappointing unfolding, and though I can’t say that I felt this film is reconciled by the end. I can say that there are points where, the questions that linger from the film serve as an opportunity to consider the more abstract points of technology, morality, and cohabitation into consideration as our technology evolves. Frankenstein’s ending wouldn’t be so great, if Victor hadn’t called for his own resurrection, now we just need to address that monster!

Reviewed by: Wes Bernstein on June 4, 2015