Garland proves his directorial clout first time round with craftsmanship and vision.

Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Donmnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander

Rating: 15

Running time: 108 mins

Release date: January 23rd

Themes in films often reflect the anxiety and awe presently felt in a given culture. Usually these ideas are explored in academia before they infect the public’s imagination. AI – and its potential explosion, the technological singularity – has been on the minds of academics like Ray Kurzweil and Nick Bostrom for years. The ‘existential risk’ of such an event – through a dystopian lens – would resemble the Skynet catastrophe of the TERMINATOR franchise. Is man a disposable conduit, a bridge to activate machinic gods? It’s a terrifying question that arouses oceanic feelings.

The technological singularity, clearly, has an apocalyptic resonance, explaining its traction and the debate it stimulates online. Unlike typical online conspiracies, signs of technological acceleration and its ambiguous relation to man can be found everywhere. More and more jobs are becoming automated; people treat their phones as additional appendages; computer speed is accelerating; breakthroughs in the convergence of the medical and bio-mechanical fields are happening right now.

Films addressing the singularity have begun to populate the mainstream. HER, for example, centred on a romance between a man and an AI. Although it touched on the isolation of tech-reliant individuals, its most interesting theme was reduced to a prologue. TRANSCENDENCE, in contrast, relied on CGI and a predictable story. Alex Garland’s latest offering, EX-MACHINA, avoids these pitfalls, concentrating on a series of philosophical conversations – in test conditions – between man and AI.

The film starts with programming wiz kid, Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) winning an opportunity to get involved with his CEO’s (Oscar Isaac) latest secret project, the seductive AI, Ava (played by Alicia Vikander). Since turning his attention from books to screenplays, Garland has penned an impressive array of sci-fi films. It is only now, with EX-MACHINA, that he’s occupying the directorial chair.

Much of the film’s dramatic bite comes from the continual shift in power between the three leads, so the less said about plot specifics, the better. Garland expertly builds tension – the twist-brimming script gradually unveiling the truth of Ava’s potential, Nathan’s motives for the tests, and his reasons for selecting Caleb. It’s a crystalline, tight narrative, both in terms of its structure and dialogue. Rarely is sci-fi as well written as this, with Garland blending humour and depth perfectly.

Although the theme of what classifies being human (i.e. does he/it/her belong in man’s moral sphere?) permeates the film, it’s secondary to a more pressing question. Does Ava present an existential risk? Will she – or any AI for that matter – turn ‘her’ primary goal, freedom, into an absolute goal, freedom at all costs? As the film unfolds, Ava shows signs of behaviour that indicate as an AI, she is more advanced than Nathan realises. Her interactions with Caleb, her ability to learn, influence synthetics, even self-improve and modify, all hint at a darker truth undiscovered.

Finer details relating to the nature of consciousness are also explored – neither in an overly abstract or simplistic manner. In one intriguing scene, Caleb and Nathan conclude that perfect simulation does not prove consciousness: a real AI has to be more than aware of other beings, it must provide a meta-analysis of a situation including them. Signs of emotional intelligence for example – without necessarily being an emotional being.

Even though the film is shot in one isolated location, Garland and his cinematographer, Rob Hardy, have captured a myriad of lush, visually rewarding dioramas. From streamlined, minimalist lab space, to glorious external shots of fauna and waterfalls, these sentient spaces captivate. The production design is similarly impressive: vibrant colours and smooth textures of pulsating wall panels and translucent lab equipment exhibit a stylish flair.

The special effects don’t encumber the film in excessive spectacle, at the same time they’re effective and blend in effortlessly. Garland has shrewdly assembled three up-and-coming actors who have bags of talent. Oscar Isaac, in particular, is mesmerising as Nathan the hedonistic genius. Isaac is a versatile actor, indistinguishable from his brilliant turn in INSIDE LLEWELYN DAVIS. Alicia Vikander is magnetic as Ava – exuding sexuality and charm in what is essentially a robot body.

Although Garland touches on Ava’s origins, a little more backstory on her construction wouldn’t have hurt, especially the theories regarding partial brain mapping and how coding aided her evolution. Aside from this minor quibble, EX-MACHINA is a spectacular new benchmark for Garland. Proving one’s directorial clout first time round, with such craftsmanship and vision, is a rare achievement indeed.

Verdict

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