Ex Machina - B+

Alicia Viklander as Ava

Rated R, 110 minutes
Wes's Grade: B+

Sci-fi drama "Ex Machina" a stylish, smart look at man vs. machine

When was the last time technology failed you, or was it the other way around? The new science-fiction drama "Ex Machina" explores those ideas and more in stylish fashion: it's a visually stunning yet thought-provoking tale that will have you talking, and in a good way and while some it may get a tad heavy-handed, it's still a satisfying experience. Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer at an internet-search giant, wins a competition to spend a week at the private mountain estate of the company's brilliant and reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Caleb learns that Nathan has chosen him to be the human component in an experiment charging him with evaluating his latest breathtaking A.I. case, known as Ava (Alicia Vikander), whose emotional intelligence proves far more sophisticated than the two men could've imagined. The compelling "Ex Machina" is a wholly original, intriguing piece of work from director and writer Alex Garland in his directorial debut, and the writer of such films as "28 Days Later" and "Never Let Me Go" shows a polished skill at bringing most of his ideas to life. "Machina" has some "Her" mixed with large doses of "Frankenstein" and the first "Terminator," with Garland's strong mix of human drama and subtle special effects showing the same potential of a young James Cameron. It's well-acted in what is essentially a three-person play: the geeky Caleb, the cunning Nathan (both believeably played by Gleeson and Isaac, respectively) and of course the deceptively lovely Ava, in a breakout role played memorably by the beguiling svelte Swedish actress Viklander, who'll you see much more this year: this is among her 8 films she has out this year (this is her third film already). Besides its seamless special effects, "Ex Machina" is handsomely photographed, giving it a suitably slick, smooth feel to it, and the electronica score from Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow gives it a creepy vibe, particularly in its initial chapters, effectively adding to its man vs. machine subtext. In the ongoing battle of style over substance, style usually wins out, and on that note "Ex Machina" doesn't fully explore its varied themes (just what is really behind those many power surges), making some of it seem a little disconnected, while other ideas seem a little too ironic, but overall "Ex Machina" is a smart, compelling look at man versus technology, and often when our human notions fail us, technology wins out. Remember that when you post (or at least attempt to) on social media about the film. Definitely worth a look, it's one of 2015's best films so far.