Hello fellow readers, welcome to the Review Vault where you can go to get your two cents on your favorite piece of media from past to present. Today's review is centered on Alex Garland's directorial debut which is a Sci-Fi thriller centered around the conflict of what makes us humans or monsters called EX-Machina. This is quite an interesting film to discuss seeing as how the advertising of this film is completely opposite of what the story truly is in its entirety.
As you guess it, it is quite a popular story troupe in the Science Fiction genre but what makes it unique from other takes on this Frankenstein/isolation story is the execution and pacing of the major narrative beats through the tight direction of the scenes and extraneous use of wide space with very little sound played in the environment. The cinematography is quite vivid in its use of the gorgeous, desolate locale of the exotic hotel used to shoot this film, giving a natural yet alienating beauty to the style of this story. It is also noteworthy to mention how the sound design is used throughout this film where it constant uses of emptiness found in room tone sound is used to establish the loneliness of Caleb's living space and serves to ratchet the tension of the moments when his very mentality reaches its breaking point questioning the intentions of both AVA and Nathan. The electronic, ambient score is also worth a mention since it adds to the creepy, unnerving atmosphere of the facility which comes across like a prison in itself but of what kind is what makes the film so fascinating and enthralling to watch.
Another aspect of the story that is handled exceptionally well is the dramatic/comedic shifts in tone. There are times when it feels like a creepy horror film but then it shifts into something that is supposedly humorous with a darker intention to it. There is a scene (minor spoiler) where Caleb is disturbed by Nathan's mistreatment towards AVA and just as Caleb tries to find Nathan through Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno) as she undress for no apparent reason, Nathan comes in a drunken mess puts on a classic 80's song and starts to boogie down with no care or purpose to his behavior at all. It is scenes like this that gives the film such a nuanced subtext to the actions of the characters that it starts to create this insanely strange trip further down the depths of our own sanity and what we perceive as normal behavior for humans. This is just a magnificent display of tight direction and control over the story to take those odd trips away from the traditional story structure to create a truly thought-provoking, creepy atmosphere to the place the characters inhabit for a majority of the film.
Now, the performances in general are top notch from all of the leads with only a couple of beautiful upcoming actresses/models filling in the roles of eye candy later on in the second half of this film. The most memorable of these performances is of course Alicia Vikander as AVA, who portrays such subtle changes to her character that you can't help but feel sympathy for her sweet, childlike innocence within her demeanor but unnerved of her true intentions for what she wants out of humans. Another captivating performance comes from none other than Oscar Issac himself as the pragmatic, CEO scientist Nathan showcasing his free spirited, fun attitude towards the role as he handles the shifts from dramatically serious to darkly humorous making for a charming yet highly self-destructive individual filled with self-doubt and obligations to create a type of life he can control completely. While Issac provides a very charismatic performance, Domhall Gleeson really performs admirable as the straight laced, moral protagonist of the story acting as the conflicted pawn caught in the middle of this struggle of morality between Nathan and AVA. This is one of those rare occasion where everyone in the cast really embodies the struggles and emotions of the characters with no weak link to be found in the cast.
The art direction is another element of this film that deserves to be examined as it is very distinctive in the Sci-fi genre. The sleek, minimalism to the look of the setting has a beautiful yet haunting quality to it serving as a stark contrast to the lush, vibrant forests that surround it. It goes to show that dressing the location correctly can make any place fit within a certain style or time period which in this case displaying the natural, low-fi future that has permeated this genre of films for years now. The designs of the androids is also immaculately crafted with such a creative use of costume, CGI, and practical effects to make them truly believable and unsettling to watch, making the illusion affect in the film. Every part of this film does feel well crafted and thought out from an artistic standpoint as well as the acting talents on hand.
There are a few nagging issues that did feel a little lopsided and could very well divide people in regards to the overall end point of the story. The ending will not be spoil at all or mentioned in detail but my opinion on the third act personally was that it fit in line with the buildup of tensions and reaction from the characters up until the last, cathartic scenes. There is no big, climatic struggle that you would expect in a film like this with such ambitious ideas but it all culminates to a very dark, sinister finale that will split people in the middle but for me, it works and it seems like a logical end point to this story. The other issue I had was the dialogue at times since it is written well enough to develop the characters and get their points across clearly, but there are times when it felt juvenile and a bit moronic particularly with some of Caleb and Nathan's scenes but otherwise, it is still relatively sharp, witty script handled efficiently by the actors.
It seem like Sci-fi films can be hit and miss during this generation of films but this one in particularly shapes the traditional conventions of the Monster/Scientific Discovery stories and shapes it into a film that is creepy, sexy, and meticulously well written by Alex Garland. The ideas of how we can evolve beyond our own capabilities and the theme of humanity within machinery for better or worse are all explored with playful intrigue and thoughtful inflections in regards to our uncertain future. The most memorable Sci-Fi film is one that makes us think about our own humanity, question our capacity for good and evil, and how these discoveries can change our perception of what can possible be made in our lifetime. Ex Machina is going to be a film that will age quite well with time and deserves to be viewed for those looking for a unique, intellectually fresh take on the genre and its conventions.
RECOMMENDATION: Full Price (Go See It)
This is a film that really is worth the trip to the theaters for its masterful direction, sharp writing, technical marvels in the effects and art design, and the thoughtful, dark ideas and themes it explores without pulling any punches. This will be a film that will stand the test of time and age quite well for the foreseeable future.
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