stunning and beautiful!

Rating: 8/10 (30 June 2015)

I have been waiting for this movie for a while and the long wait has been totally worth it! Without giving too much spoilers, the movie is about the Turing Test performed by a millionaire researcher boss (Nathan) between one of his employee (Caleb) and his newly created 'female' android robot, called 'Ava'. Caleb was invited for this week- long experiment in Nathan's remote research facility. For the most part, the film revolves around a closed apartment with 3-4 major characters and with very few scenes of the outside world. The resulting claustrophobic atmosphere occupied by the omnipresent 'big brother' Nathan watching the interaction of the confused Caleb and the seductive, ever mysterious Ava makes a gripping viewing experience.
Right from the beginning when the human subject Caleb enters through the door of the apartment with the blue light ominously turning red in a somewhat foretelling fashion, there is a definite sense of uneasiness and paranoia throughout the film. There are appropriate philosophical aspects regarding how one should define intelligence or the meaning of one's emotional awareness or the foreshadowing discussion of technological singularity. Some viewers may find these philosophical conversations a bit boring, but they actually serve well to allow us have deeper glances into the character developments. Just to quote an example, Ava's wishful fanciness in watching flow of humans in a busy traffic crossing makes us slightly more curious about her. Later we come to know that this instinct of her has its roots in how 'she' has actually been created,- by studying countless human data obtained by every personal computers and mobile phones in the world.
There are some beautifully crafted moments like the Jackson Pollock painting scene, imagery in Ava's mind during the description of the thought experiment, her putting the clothes on for the first time or even the final shadow- scene. The director has equally balanced it with eeriness with scenes like Caleb's discovery of the other female androids, The look in Ava's eyes when the light goes off during the first session of the Turing Test, Kyoko's 'revelation', Ava's selection of dress and 'parts' or the chilling hint of a smile on an old android inside the closet. The chilling final twist, although have been subtly foretold in a few scenes is not something which is very obvious.
The film is well supported by the acting ensemble. but, easily the top of the cast is Alicia Vikander, who excellently portrayed Ava, expressed all kinds of emotions,- from longing, love, hate, curiosity, to indifference, mostly through her eyes and she brought into the screen a 'realistic' Ava with her slow and slightly dragging feet movements as well.
There are a couple of ambiguous things which I feel the director might have thrown more hints into. For example, we do not know the true purpose of Kyoko. It is not completely clear whether she is just an android maid and a 'live' sex toy or is a new version of 'Ava' in making. More importantly, why does Caleb not feel any apparent pain when he cuts himself deeply and how the deep gushing wound seemingly healed itself or maybe he is also an android? These are things left to stretch the imagination of the viewers.
But overall, in my opinion, Ex Machina makes a stunning directorial debut of Alex Garland. I will be expecting eagerly for his future projects.