Wednesday, July 29, 2015

'Blu-ray or Bust' - EX MACHINA







'Blu-ray or Bust'

EX MACHINA (R, 2015, 108 minutes, DNA FILMS/A24)

Seriously. Why is the freaking future taking so long to get here?

I WANT A SEX ROBOT.

Why can’t I have Scarlett Johansson as the delightful little voice in my ear? How about Pris, but maybe without the homicidal tendencies? Hell, I’ll even settle for Maria from METROPOLIS. Right now, however, I’d like to have my own Ava… who isn’t really just a SEX ROBOT. She is the invention of a guy who spent too much time watching WEIRD SCIENCE as a kid, and now, as a horny geek on steroids, has created the perfect woman.

No, the ‘horny geek’ is not me—if it was, you think I’d be busy writing these reviews that only thirteen people (at best) ever admit to reading? Gosh no, me and my Sex Robot would be a little too busy with…things…like, laundry…and…car maintenance…

Therein lies the heart of the matter of EX MACHINA. Of course there is the classic moral dilemma of whether a computer or robot should be allowed to be self-aware, and what the implications of that awareness could mean to us more fragile humans. But there is also the ambiguous nature of said machine’s creator, and what his true purpose may be. The focus of the visual part of this film is ‘Ava’, played with amazing presence by the lovely Alicia Vikande. You come to look forward to each session visiting code writer ‘Caleb’ (Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson, who has been in more films than you realize, but outshines them all here) has with Ava, and by “session”, I don’t mean anything of the dirty nature.


Caleb’s job is to see how well the machine passes for human, but not in a physical sense. And here is where we get to the mental part of this film; creator ‘Nathan’ (Oscar Isaac, capturing the over-confident zeal and bullish nature of a man who believes he is God) represents one of four emotions on display here (you can figure out the other ones, you know I don’t do spoilers). Each character here is exactly as their pretenses and flaws are meant to be. Each one is desperate to reach their intended goals, which, in the end, is really a lesson in how to be human.

When the violence comes (as it inevitably must), it is with a childlike curiosity, which grounds this film. It is poetic, horrible, but entirely necessary. The only part of this entire production which nagged at me was the fact that, waaaay back in 2013, a film called THE MACHINE told a slightly similar story, only there was all this military crap involved. It was still a very good film (available on Netflix, by the way); the ‘cyborg’ in that film was played by the very talented Caity Lotz. And her character’s name?

Ava. (I come to you not to make accusations, but to present parallels.) (And curiosities.) (I’m like a sick carnival barker…)

The special features are immersive and well worth the effort of watching all ninety of them. Okay, it’s more like ten or twelve, but there is a lot of information in there. This really is a must on Blu-ray—the effects are breathtaking, the soundtrack effective, and the harsh contrasts of bland coloring is like a character unto itself. Excellent production, excellent execution (yeah, there’s a pun there somewhere…).

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be in my garage. Building a sex robot. See you in a few years.

Film Grade: B++ (sorry, THE MACHINE clouds my judgment…)
Special Features: A
Blu-ray Necessary: Most Definitely

T.S. Kummelman

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