Our premise is simple: a young programmer named Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a trip to spend the week with his company's CEO and founder, a reclusive man named Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). The company is called Bluebook, a search engine that is meant to be the fictional equivalent of Google. A helicopter ride deposits him in the middle of a wild, mountainous setting, where he find's Bateman's extensive mansion filled with high tech security and capabilities.
Bateman is by no means an ordinary man; he drinks, has a temper, and is overall a peculiar guy. The purpose of Caleb's trip is then named: he is to test a new invention for AI (artificial intelligence) using the Turing Test. Essentially, through means of discussion with the robot, can blur the line between what is artificial and what is human. The concept is intriguing, and Caleb is introduced to Ava (Alicia Vikander). Her face and hand appear like flesh and blood, and were it not for her metallic, machine-driven body, it would be impossible to distinguish her from any other woman.
Through a series of conversations, Caleb gets to know Ava, asks her questions, she she of him. They are separated by a partition of glass at all times, though Ava appears nothing if not gentle. She asks if he is single, and later shows him the dress she would wear if they would ever go outside in public. Is this flirtation or just another level in advanced programming?
I say it is like a Hitchcock film in the way it slowly builds a sense of claustrophobia. We learn that Caleb is granted access only to certain rooms in the house, while others remained locked. Nathan keeps a constant eye through cameras, and remains a nearly god-like presence over their existence.
The ending is perhaps an ending that shouldn't surprise many, but the execution and final moments of the film are a shock to the senses and mind. The film takes place in a future that seems to be no more than a year or two ahead of us, and the reality of artificial intelligence is no longer paired with the romantic idea of fantasy that other films have in the past. This is the real deal, and who knows how long we will wait before someone like Ava comes to fruition.
Like "AI" (Steven Spielberg's masterful film on a similar subject), the future world of technology is a marvel, if not potentially tragic era. I ponder the title, "Ex Machina," and wonder what the ultimate meaning is? Does the invention of advanced robotics come to solve world problems as in "deus ex machina," or are we heading down a path of self-destruction through our own brilliance... Tomorrow is right around the corner.
(Awards potential: Best Supporting Actor (Isaac), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing)
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