505: Ex Machina

[00:00:00] 212. Let's get to Ex Machina, which technically came out in 2014 but I don't think it had a theatrical release until 2015.

[00:00:11] Is written and directed by Alex Garland who just did Civil War?

[00:00:15] Starras, Alicia of a Candor, Donal Gleason, Oscar Isaac. That's about it for big names.

[00:00:21] And the Snapsis is a young programmer, is selected to participate in a groundbreaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid AI.

[00:00:37] So, similar to her, this would be the best of the group that I'm talking about in this collection and would easily be one of my favorite sci-fi films of the 2010s.

[00:00:50] Maybe of all time, really. But it gets better every single time. It's one of those. I've seen it five or six times at least.

[00:01:02] One of the things that I love about it is that it has such a seemingly simple narrative structure and concept.

[00:01:09] But I feel like whether it's on the page or underlying ideas, it's so deep with those possibilities of AI, the good things, the bad things, the threats.

[00:01:24] Some strong marks. The idea, the writing for Oscar Isaacs character, which this is one of those bigger movies at the time.

[00:01:34] Right when he was in Star Wars, I believe, is he's this billionaire tech startup guy who runs a Google-like company. He lives out in the middle of nowhere. He's fairly young all considering.

[00:01:50] He lives completely on his own, just working on his new inventions as new technologies new software.

[00:01:59] He makes a focus for while he drinks and all these things he makes a focus of talking about taking antioxidants and exercising and he's this new wave I feel like of the sort of the Silicon Valley billionaire.

[00:02:15] But also at the same time, he's in some ways like a sociopath because he's so disconnected from everything.

[00:02:22] All he cares about is having power, having the control, siking everybody out and moving forward with what he believes to be the right technology.

[00:02:35] As he plays on the words of Donald Gleeson's character, likes when people refer to him as a god.

[00:02:44] So like I just talked about with transcendence where maybe it's not explicitly stated that Johnny Depp wants to be god.

[00:02:52] People are accusing him of that whereas in this, Oscar Isaac has no hesitation to be like, yeah, I like the sound of that. That's good. That's really what I am obviously.

[00:03:04] Which I haven't really seen that much of in films like this and how that overall character is structured.

[00:03:12] Despite the film mainly just taking place at this house, you wouldn't really have guessed it that it was one location because there's so much variety in the look of the hallways, the rooms, the exterior shots where they go and take walks.

[00:03:29] It feels like every scene had some new sort of visual or interesting production design.

[00:03:37] This is also still out say one of Alicia Vikander's biggest roles because she was in this and the Danish girl.

[00:03:46] She's a fantastic actor and very underrated.

[00:03:51] I wish you would get back into more mainstream films because I feel like the last four or five years ever since Tomb Raider. She's kind of fallen off.

[00:04:00] I don't know why exactly maybe for family or what but she's an amazing actor, this is easily one of her best works.

[00:04:09] The design of Eva is incredibly iconic.

[00:04:14] One of those great simple yet like I was talking about with I robot very simple but very powerful and evocative looks for a AI character.

[00:04:29] And those conversations between Eva and Donal Gleason when they're doing the touring test.

[00:04:36] There's a lot of discovery there that you can't help but wonder what she's going to say next. What she might answer how she may answer certain question.

[00:04:46] And even in my lack of technological knowledge and experience, I feel like if I were to guess this could be a very realistic example of AI in the real world being tested.

[00:05:01] Some of the twists which spoilers here just in case you haven't seen it, sorry.

[00:05:07] There are so many little subtle twists and reveals and surprises and slide of hands that that's what's great about the rewatchability of this is each time I feel like I'm noticing one more that I didn't notice the last time and that's such a great strength for a film.

[00:05:28] The stuff towards the end just jumping towards the end for a little bit when Donal Gleason is trying to help Eva escape because he's realized that Oscar Isaac has been even though there are robots.

[00:05:41] They've been becoming so self-aware that they want to escape, that they realize that the treatment that Oscar Isaac is giving them is not right.

[00:05:52] And Eva is the latest version to not yet be destroyed even though he has plans to do that. So then Donal Gleason is like we're going to get out of here. I'm going to save you.

[00:06:02] When all that starts happening, Oscar Isaac or you think at first Donal Gleason is at an advantage.

[00:06:11] Then that morning that it's also supposed to go down, Oscar Isaac reveals I'm on to you, you know this like I've cameras here, this and that you're through.

[00:06:21] But then there's yet another twist where actually Donal Gleason had done something prior that allowed him to maintain that advantage of trapping Oscar Isaac theoretically and helping Eva.

[00:06:37] And all of those are not in your face, they're not those twists where they become tiresome. They feel more than reasonable within the context of the story. They're not pretentious. They're not overwritten. They're not I role in terms of not being something that could be accomplished.

[00:06:59] And quickly on that note, this is still I think Alex Garland's best movie both writing and direction.

[00:07:09] Because the movie looks great, you know, great lighting, great composition but those two central strengths have yet to be topped.

[00:07:19] The dance sequence with Oscar Isaac and his female robot assistant who I mean, you don't find that to later. She's a robot.

[00:07:28] That's one that has really had a shelf life. I still see it referenced and parodied online in social media and gifts and all that.

[00:07:38] Not really necessary, but add some levity to the movie.

[00:07:43] Along with all the twists at the end, that's really where the visual style and the creativity of what AI robots could look like both on the surface and underneath and all that is brilliant.

[00:07:59] For example, one of my favorites is when you see the robot assistant of Oscar Isaac pulling down the piece of her artificial skin on her face and you see the artificial eyeball and the metal.

[00:08:14] And it's this very stark striking image that is I mean some ways it really does turn into a horror film because these robots suddenly get the upper hand.

[00:08:24] The few security measures that Oscar Isaac thought were uncrackable are turned off in one way or the other and things go nuts.

[00:08:35] The scene in the hallway when Eva gets out and the robot assistant shows up.

[00:08:44] Oscar Isaac is of course freaking out when Eva turns to him and he's trying to say, all right, go back in your room get out of here listen to me.

[00:08:54] Obviously she's so advanced she's making that decision for herself and there's that great momentum of that wide deep focus shot of her slowly gaining speed.

[00:09:07] Running at him and then finally she jumps at him and knocks into the ground.

[00:09:13] And when the assistant has the knife behind Oscar Isaac and he unknowingly walks right into it and you can only imagine how that would feel.

[00:09:26] The score is another excellent part something I always notice, I love a great score.

[00:09:33] When it comes to AI there's a lot of interesting variety that a composer could theoretically inject musically and this is a great example of that.

[00:09:44] Maybe I'm crazy, but I feel like one aspect of the music that really helps the suspense build is it starts off very quiet and I feel like it builds more and more and more over time until the third act has really in your face bombastic.

[00:10:03] Aegee electronic sounds that create that overwhelming climax.

[00:10:11] Which that's not a new brilliant discovery, but in this film specifically it's used incredibly effectively.

[00:10:21] The final epilogue when Aegee gets out she looks like a normal person because she's stolen the skin off of the past versions of her which is a brilliant visual.

[00:10:37] Then she gets on the helicopter and that final shot looks so good.

[00:10:43] It's I think it's the camera turn upside down and shoots down on a city street sidewalk or patio something and they're all these shadows of silhouette some people walking by this way in that and then you see her silhouette as a normal person and then she walks off.

[00:11:04] And they're like okay well good luck everybody because now she looks like everyone else there's little to no difference between how she speaks compared to someone else.

[00:11:18] The scene when Donald Gleason is starting to become a little bit more aware or suspicious of oscarisic intentions and how the lottery thing was a total jip.

[00:11:32] He asks oscarisic did you base the look of ava on my pornography profile.

[00:11:42] Because he's obviously attracted to her and then we find out that oscarisic has been hacking his computer to find out are you a decent person what are your interests do you have family are there any risks of bringing you to my secret compound.

[00:12:00] And one thing that is very if you think about realistically what's going to keep someone more as shallow as it might be keeping someone more focused on a experiment like this is having that.

[00:12:18] Test subject be attractive to them specifically more so than they would even think.

[00:12:25] So I feel like as gross as that is that's really smart.

[00:12:32] When you see the old footage that don't look leasing is going through of the past robots and they're smashing at the window or the glass doors to try and get out.

[00:12:45] And then ava gets revenge on everybody even don't go leasing who is trying to help her she's like screw you I'm at it here.

[00:12:54] Now my creator can be dead and you can know what it feels like to be trapped yourself so good luck.

[00:13:03] Which sucks because you don't see don't go glee sin at least I didn't as a bad guy in particular he's fairly innocent and all this but then.

[00:13:14] AI doesn't really discriminate if you're going against me you're going to get burned essentially is what this felt like.

[00:13:25] Yeah it is still an amazing movie to me I think everyone should watch it I feel like it's not so sci-fi or so one thing that it would turn really anyone off.

[00:13:39] So.

[00:13:41] That is a heavy heavy five out of five.