Gods Amongst Humans

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2015)

Much like 'Her' from a few years back, Ex Machina deals with the sexual relationship that someone can have with an A.I. or just the possibilities of what may happen when that inevitably comes to fruition. I really like how we are advancing as a nation that filmmakers are given the freedom and (some) money to develop a project like this that probably wouldn't have been made 20-30 years ago. It's also the first film I can remember that really dove into the sexuality of an A.I. Because think about it, if you are aware of who you are, you're bound to develop some kind of feelings towards something at some point. So I appreciated that.
Unfortunately besides some creative ideas and a solid script, I never felt that the film became something special or unique. All of the performances, including the spectacular newcomer Alicia Viklander, are great. Both of the Star Wars actors, Isaac and Gleeson share an interesting dynamic, though pretty predictable. But other than a few expositional lines throughout, we don't get a sense of who these characters were before they got here. There's pretty much no set up at all. Gleeson's character just wins a contest to go see Isaac in this far off area of the world to test his A.I. It's also worth noting that the film has some clear similarities to another Artificial Intelligence film called The Machine. In fact, the lead female A.I is named AVA in both. There are a few conveniences along the way that also hindered the powerful story that lay underneath. That which include the random power failures. It was simply just a plot device to further the dynamic of Isaac and Gleeson in a convenient way.
But like I said, there is a lot to like about the film. For a relatively small budget, the visual effects were fantastic. It was a genuine surprise and an improvement over The Machine's sometimes noticeable CG. I loved each and every one of the performances, although the cast is pretty small. Each of them have a bright future in the business and perhaps we will look back at Ex Machina as one of the main starting points.
+Star-making performances
+Visual Effects
+Addresses the sexuality of an A.I.
-Didn't feel all that unique to me
7.5/10