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FILM REVIEW: EX_MACHINA

| January 24, 2015

Released : 23rd January 2015
Rated : 15
Running Time: 108 mins
BBFCinsight: Strong language, bloody violence, sex references
Director: Alex Garland
Stars:  Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Chelsea Li, Evie Wray, Sonoya Mizuno, Corey Johnson, Deborah Rosan, Symara A. Templeman

Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a 24 year old programmer at Bluebook, the world’s most successful internet company, wins a competition to spend a week with Nahan (Oscar Issac) the companies reclusive billionaire owner.

When Caleb arrives at Nathans high security hideaway he is told that Nathan has created an AI (Artifical Intelligence) and Caleb is to give the AI the ‘Turing Test’, devised by Alan Turing the wartime codebreaker, to see if the machine can pass as human.

The AI turns out to be Ava (Alicia Vikander), a life size, walking, talking computer. Not only is Ava capable of speech, movement and is aware of her environment but she is also aware of her sexuality.

Caleb starts ‘Turing testing’ Ava looking for weaknesses but Ava is aware of Caleb’s weaknesses too.

EX_MACHINA is the directorial debut of Ales Garland, the writer of ’28 Days Later’ and ‘Sunshine’.

REVIEW : This is one of the best films exploring the interaction between man and machine to date. Carrying on where ‘HER’ (2013) left off, in EX_MACHINA the computer takes on physical human form. Not only does Ava have consciousness but she is aware of her ability to control others through her personality and sexuality.

The film highlights what would happen if machines could manipulate humans and the dangers of creating machines more intelligent that ourselves.

A lot of though has been put into the script of the film, it’s very entertaining. After seeing the film it’s worth considering what would happen if Nathan had created a male robot and asked a female to give it the ‘Turing test’.

Are men weaker then women? What is consciousness and is sexuality a weakness in human males? Suppose a real life man was to ‘Turing test’ a real life woman, what would the outcome be and therefore are women more advanced in terms of intelligence than men?

Alicia Vikander is excellent as Ava, Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb very well and Oscar Issac is perfectly cast as Nathan.

EX_MACHINA is one of the best and most through provoking films of recent times, a must see!

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