Ava Destruction

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2016)

The story of man's efforts to create artificial life have been around since the early days of cinema in efforts like " The Golem " and " Metropolis ". Ex Machina proves that there are interesting possibilities that can still be found in recurring cinematic motifs. The starkly serene and sparse interior shots belie the undercurrent of messy angst that haunts the characters in their relationship with their own species as well as with technology. There may be some minor gaps in the narrative upon closer scrutiny, however, considering the quality of acting, cinematography and dialog, it's unlikely the viewer will care. The compelling saga, along with some unexpected twists, propels the movie along with smooth velocity. The tale lends itself to allegorical analysis although none is required for enjoyment. Personally, I was reminded of the symbology of God ( Nathan ) in the Garden of Eden ( depicted in Norwegian exterior shots ) along with Adam and Eve ( Caleb and Ava ) although Ava morphs into Adam's first wife Lilith ( yeah, she's in the bible ) in her confrontational disputes with " God " and her resulting self imposed exile into the world, abandoning obsequiousness in exchange for the experiential. The excursion into sci-filosophy forces us to confront the specter of techno-ethics that we thought we could avoid. The hotly seductive and coolly detached Ava beats us at our own game which scientists and (wo)mandroids have already predicted as inevitable.