Holy Moses what a chassis!
When Caleb is plucked from entry level obscurity for a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only meet but work with Nathan, a Steve Jobs type computer genius on his latest, as yet unknown, development, he feels as if he has quite literally won the lottery.
The chance to test the possible next generation in world changing technology doesn’t come along too often. The chance to converse with the man responsible, and potentially have his ear to discuss new tweaks and developments, is akin to being at the brainstorm meeting where everyone ponders what letter to place ahead of pad, pod and phone…
Nathan might be a world renowned influencer of modern existence, but he is also an enigmatic and eccentric shut-in who resides in a luxurious well appointed hotel style facility in the middle of an undisclosed location. Already one of the world’s richest men, Nathan is the master of his surrounds and more, but he is also an outgoing and outspoken man without a place to go and without anyone to speak with. His only staff member doesn’t speak English, and everything is kept so top secret that he doesn’t converse with anyone else. Despite this he is cocky and jovial and always seems to be working on his sixth drink of the day regardless of the time outside.
When shy and reserved Caleb arrives with a ‘shucks, why me?’ attitude and a bemused grin, Nathan almost smothers him with attention and questions. There are long, searching ‘getting to know you’ chats, and then the true nature of Caleb’s ‘mission’ is disclosed.
It’s almost unfair to go too far further. The above is really only around twelve minutes of the film. The poster tells us that a robot of some description is involved, ‘she’ is Ava, and without detail she is Caleb’s mission. And a fascinating study.
Ex Machina is a sci-fi in every sense of the term, but it is hardly Looper or Blade Runner inventing new worlds type stuff. In fact long stretches of the film are absorbed by compelling dialogue scenes, where the chat seems light but laced with subtext. By day Caleb and Ava talk (while Nathan watches on via cctv) and he debriefs Nathan of an evening.
But it is far more in depth and riveting than all that. The strength of the film is in the characters, in Caleb and Nathan we have disparate but somehow compatible men, but it is Ava who fascinates them both, and us.
Ex Machina is probably nothing like you imagine by merely looking at the poster or reading the blurb. I would venture though that it is better than the film you envisage in your head, and if it isn’t you should write that shit down and get yourself to Hollywood.
Final Rating – 8 / 10. This is the best sci-fi film of the year and the best since Looper, and it was probably made with a fraction of the budget.
