Achieving the Impossible

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2015)

Artificial intelligence has always been a tough theme to tackle in movies. From Iron Man's J.A.R.V.I.S. to Wall-E's Wall-E, AI has been expressed in many different ways by many different directors but it always comes back to one key argument. At what point does artificial intelligence really exist? Is it enough for AI to exist through a simple voice like J.A.R.V.I.S. or Siri? Or should the line exist at a more android-like sentient level? Director Alex Garland adds his take to the idea with his debut film Ex Machina, and AI has never looked so good.
Simple, yet competent, programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a lottery to visit the extravagant CEO of his company, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), at his house for one week. The true purpose of Caleb's visit is revealed when Nathan shows Caleb his ambitious science project: the world's first fully functional android AKA Ava (played by Alica Vikander). In order the pass the tick for artificial intelligence, Ava must pass the 'turing test,' in which the observing human, Caleb, must not be able to tell that the android, Ava, is not human.
For a directorial debut, Garland has really outdone himself. He tackles the tough themes with ease, hitting all the necessary beats, like how humans will react to sentient androids and how androids become integrated with human emotions. The dynamic between Caleb and Ava is incredible, with Caleb trying to be as objective as possible until developing an empathy toward Ava, leading to a climactic and thought-provoking ending to say the least.
Standout performance in this film definitely goes to Vikander. Her fluid and natural performance as Ava brings a level of breadth and emotion to the atmosphere. The way Ava flexes and stares at her body as if she has been born from adult is completely believable in every way. Also, the CGI for the character was amazing. It added another layer of realism to the character that I never could have imagined.
Another standout was actually Isaac. His portrayal of Nathan was interesting in the sense that it isn't what we would expect from a CEO who dreams of making AI possible. He instead reveals Nathan as a drunk narcissist who wants to create AI for his own personal pleasure. This begs the question of is there a 'right' person to create AI? Obviously Nathan was extremely smart but is there an ethical layer behind it? Is the act of creating AI more important than what it is used for? It is also worth mentioning (without giving any spoilers away :)) how great the ending was. Garland doesn't skimp on the ending, giving all viewers serious ideas and themes to think about as they walk away from the movie. Don't worry, it's worth sticking around for.
In making this movie, Garland has achieved the impossible, a fully-believable representation of artificial intelligence and what it is capable of. In his first movie he has achieved my vote for movie of the year and probably the vote of many others. Featuring stellar performances from Vikander and Isaac, this movie is a masterpiece and I can't wait to see what challenges Garland tackles next.