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Ex Machina (2014)

Ex Machina is about an inventor who has cracked the Turing test and needs someone else to validate his work and also so he can show off and dance with his fembots.

Alex Garland wrote and directed this film. He's part of the reason I'm reviewing this film. Part because the film is great and part because he's got a new film coming out called Annihilation. Considering this is his first film to ever direct he did phenomenal compared to other's firsts. Cue Emenim's phenomenal song. Before Ex Machina, he wrote 28 Days Later another solid movie and Sunshine which wasn't.

Alicia Vikander plays the main synthetic intelligence who believes that if she fails the Turing test that she will be decommissioned like previous failed attempts by the antagonist. I totally forgot that she wasn't an artificial person and was actually an actress. She's also got an upcoming movie called Tomb Raider coming out soon. Though you might recognize her as the girl from Jason Bourne or The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Star Wars actor Oscar Isaac plays Nathan, a super rich and egotistical genius who creates Ava for funzies. He gets a little ahead of himself and decided to invite Caleb to his remote home so he can see if she'll pass the Turing test. There is a bit of depth to his character that isn't really realized till later in the film and Isaac delivers on his promise. There is hardly any film of his I haven't enjoyed so far. Drive is still one of my all-time favorites.

Star Wars actor Domhnall Gleeson is also in the film as the protagonist and general good guy. He tries his best to do what he thinks is right but everyone else around him seems to be smarter. If only he was as smart as the AI that Nathan had built then maybe this whole debacle would have never happened. Regardless, he does a wonderful job as Caleb and very convincing since he's so pasty.

Result: A (One of the great sci-fi films of this decade, just underneath Blade Runner 2049)

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