On 31 January, saw Ex Machina. The write up has shades of Blade Runner and The Matrix.
Ex Machina is an excellent sci-fi movie. Celeb wins a competition to spend a week with the leader of the IT company for which he works. Thrilled, he is flown by helicopter to spend a week courtesy of the CEO's house in the middle of nowhere. Nathan, the CEO, is a strange individual, programming artificial intelligence women. His latest model is Ava, on who he wants Caleb to perform the Turing test. In moments when Nathan is not listening (or so Caleb believes, incorrectly as it turns out) Ava implores him to help her escape. They hatch a plan that goes wrong as first Nathan is killed by Ava and another robot, his last words being "this is fucking unreal", then Caleb is deserted by Ava and left in the locked building as she catches the helicopter to meet reality.
It is a well crafted script, using the Turing test, and the concepts of Boudrillard and others. It plays too on sexism, as the robots are female, constructed by a male who has, it is ultimately realised, a depraved mind. Ex Machina is explored as Caleb is introduced as the metaphorical machine that is released into the comfortable set established by Nathan, bringing about the destruction of Nathan and his world.
Ex Machina is an excellent sci-fi movie. Celeb wins a competition to spend a week with the leader of the IT company for which he works. Thrilled, he is flown by helicopter to spend a week courtesy of the CEO's house in the middle of nowhere. Nathan, the CEO, is a strange individual, programming artificial intelligence women. His latest model is Ava, on who he wants Caleb to perform the Turing test. In moments when Nathan is not listening (or so Caleb believes, incorrectly as it turns out) Ava implores him to help her escape. They hatch a plan that goes wrong as first Nathan is killed by Ava and another robot, his last words being "this is fucking unreal", then Caleb is deserted by Ava and left in the locked building as she catches the helicopter to meet reality.
It is a well crafted script, using the Turing test, and the concepts of Boudrillard and others. It plays too on sexism, as the robots are female, constructed by a male who has, it is ultimately realised, a depraved mind. Ex Machina is explored as Caleb is introduced as the metaphorical machine that is released into the comfortable set established by Nathan, bringing about the destruction of Nathan and his world.
