Clumsy and Overblown Fodder for Aspiring Futurists

Rating: 3/10 (16 May 2015)

Rarely have I felt myself the "one-eyed man in the land of the blind" as when I was reading the plethora of positive reviews for this film.
What so many critics praised as "minimalist", I found shallow: A one-dimensional, clearly ego-maniacal villain creates a flawlessly sympathetic A.I., with whom our equally-flawless protagonist cements an attachment. That, plus a fairly pedestrian game of cat-and-mouse between our 'tagonists, followed by an unsatisfying ending, defines the bulk of this film.
What so many critics praised as "thought-provoking", I found nonsensical. The chance to parlay the dichotomy between evolved vs. designed intelligence through Ava's character was squandered by the decision to render her ultimate motives entirely inscrutable: a contrivance that may have been---but should not have been---the point. There were times when this film showed real promise, the potential to give real weight to the blurred line between human and synthetic self-awareness that will doubtless challenge us in years to come... but, alas, in service to its Pollock-painting motifs, it chose easy ambiguity over genuine insight.
Superficially, this film is meaningful: It certainly tackles the questions of intelligence, of person-hood, of agency and of sentience in a world where all of the above can be designed by a psychopath.
Unfortunately, those questions are damn important ones to tackle... and, in the end, "Ex Machina" in no way does them justice.