Caleb, a coder at the world’s largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week
at the mountain retreat of his reclusive billionaire boss Nathan.
He cannot believe his luck and he’s even more surprised to find he's there to interact
with a female robot called Ava created by Nathan and to find out whether she’s truly
self-aware, like a human being.
As I walked in to the cinema to watch Ex Machina, my expectations were sky-high.
First of all, because of the trio of uber-talented actors who star in the film – that’s Alicia
Vikander, Oscar Isaac, and Domhnall Gleeson.
And second, because writer Alex Garland has pretty much nailed every script he’s written
from 28 Days Later to Dredd.
Speaking of which, I would love to see a Dredd sequel though sadly it looks like that ain’t
gonna happen.
Anyway, how could Ex Machina possibly live up to my level of anticipation?
Well, not only did it live up to it, but it actually exceeded it!
As well as writing Ex Machina, Alex Garland makes his debut in the director’s chair
and he excels in both departments.
The script is clever and coherent while the visuals are simply stunning.
Because so much of Ex Machina is about Caleb, Nathan and Ava getting to know each other,
most of the film revolves around conversations between them, rather than action.
In the hands of Garland, this isn’t a problem though as he’s written a dialogue-driven
script that’s full of tension, deals with big issues in a clear manner, and is consistently
fascinating.
In fact, I was gripped from the start right through to the end by Garland’s perfect
blend of intelligent sci-fi and psychological thriller infused with horror.
And he’s also managed to inject a good dose of humour into the film too, sometimes in
the most unlikely moments, and this works just wonderfully.
Look out for one of the best dance scenes I’ve seen in a very long time!
Not only has Garland done a top job in the writer’s and director’s chair, he’s
also assembled a crack team of on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent who really make the
film pop.
If you’ve watched my review of the wartime drama Testament Of Youth, you’ll know how
highly I think of Swedish actress Alicia Vikander.
You can click here to watch that video.
And she’s just as dazzling again in Ex Machina, giving another finely honed performance as
female robot Ava.
Vikander’s speech, facial expressions, gestures and gait all combine beautifully to suggest
an otherness intermingled with humanity.
And you can sense Vikander’s early training as a ballerina in the way she’s able to
completely control her body, brilliantly blurring the line between how humans and robots move.
Oscar Isaac brings Nathan to life oh-so superbly, which is hardly surprising given his past
performances in films like Drive, Inside Llewyn Davis, and A Most Violent Year.
He’s one of those actors who can totally vanish into a role, and he does that to great
effect in Ex Machina.
Isaac cleverly balances his performance on a knife-edge between what Nathan’s like
on the surface and what he’s like in reality.
So, despite Nathan’s super-chill demeanour and his apparent air of down-to-earth matey-ness,
there’s more than a trace of the supreme control freak about him.
Between his superb turn in Ex Machina, and roles coming up in Star Wars and X-Men: Apocalypse,
the next 18 months are going to be huge for Isaac!
Just like Isaac and Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson’s star is very much on the rise this year; with
Episode 7 among a number of films you’ll see him in in 2015.
Gleeson’s worked before with both Vikander and Alex Garland on Joe Wright’s adaptation
of Anna Karenina and on the sci-fi action movie Dredd.
And he impresses yet again in Ex Machina with an intelligent and natural performance as
the softly-spoken Caleb.
Oh, and if you want to find out more about what the year ahead holds for Oscar Isaac,
Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander, click here to watch my video on the 10 Actors You
Must Watch in 2015!
Much-deserved props also go to cinematographer Rob Hardy, who’s never worked on a sci-fi
movie before.
Hardy did an exceptional job on Testament Of Youth and his work on Ex Machina is outstanding.
Comic book artist Jock, who did the early concept design for Ava, and the movie’s
visual effects team have also done an absolutely stellar job bringing Ava to life.
And I must also mention production designer Mark Digby and set decorator Michelle Day
whose work is so crucial to the whole eerily beautiful feel of the film.
Although just outside Nathan’s home-come-research-facility there are acres of gorgeous wilderness filled
with mountains, trees and waterfalls, the building’s geographical isolation coupled
with the fact that Caleb’s more or less confined there gives the whole film a decidedly
claustrophobic atmosphere.
Add to that the building’s sleek lines and toned-down modernist feel, and the whole space
feels strangely unsettling.
To sum up: Ex Machina is a superlative sci-fi flick that benefits from an outstanding script,
pitch-perfect performances and stunning visuals.
What’s not to like?!
Ex Machina gets 5 out of 5 Flicks.
What did you think of Ex Machina?
And what’s your favourite robot movie?
Plus, how would you react to a world of sentient robots?!
Let me know in the comments below!
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Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers!