DNA Films, Film4,
Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson
Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is a young programmer at the worlds most successful software company, and wins a contest to spend a week as the guest of the CEO of the company, Nathan (Oscar Isaac)’s home, a remote research facility on reachable by helicopter. But when Caleb arrives, he finds out it wasn’t random that he was chosen. Actually he was personally selected to participate in a high tech experiment to determine if Nathan was actually able to create a robot with artificial intelligence superior enough to pass as human. Caleb was well chosen for his exceptional ability, but things don’t go as expected and it turns into a suspenseful tale of a robot who thinks she’s human.
This film was out of the mainstream, but I think it did generate a fair amount of buzz while it was in the theater. It’s a cerebral sci-fi film with a great deal going for it. One of the keys was Alicia Vikander who plays Ava, the robot. The second is the special effects. The decision to use a mesh suit on Alicia was brilliant and it brought a reality to the movie because the CGI was so seamlessly mixed with the live action. Third is the very clever script. The whole thing keeps you guessing as to whether Nathan is a mad scientist, a nutcase, or a brilliant inventor. Until the ending you keep guessing what is going to happen. It is very thought provoking, quite exciting, very well acted by all participants, and very suspenseful. Each of the major characters is different, but you’ll find yourself rooting for all of them at some point or other. Indirectly it addresses the issue of the morality of what Nathan is up to, but the story is strong enough that it isn’t pushed in your face as you are so interested in the story. This is well told and the technical aspects are very well done. This is a really excellent little film that is on the fringes of the mainstream Hollywood thing that is very much worth seeking out. If you’s a science fiction fan, as I am, or just a fan of a good futuristic story, this is one that you don’t want to miss. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
