Year in Review: Terry's Top Ten Films of 2015

It's been a long time coming, but I have finally seen enough films to feel confident enough to write my top ten list of last year.  I try to make it a rule that I don't finalize my top ten list of the year until I have at least seen all the Best Picture nominees.  With my busy schedule, it usually takes until around now for that to happen.  As I think I say every year, it is better late than never.

To date, I have watched 28 films from 2015.  I realize probably all of my counterparts have seen that many, if not more, already in 2016 (my 2016 total right now is 3), however I have seen enough quality throughout the 2015 canon that I have no problem proclaiming my top ten of the year.  Here we go!

Honorable Mention

Southpaw

(dir. by Antoine Fuqua)

The Good Dinosaur

(dir. by Peter Sohn)

The Big Short

(dir. by Adam McKay)

10.  Beasts of No Nation

(dir. by Cary Joji Fukunaga)

Many people complained this year about racial bias in the Academy voting.  I think that is an unfair assessment and evaluation of the situation.  Yes, there were no African-Americans nominated in a major category this year.  However, the issue wasn't racial bias but a bias against streaming services.  The best chances African-Americans had at getting nominated was in Beasts of No Nation, a beautifully tragic film about the abduction, recruitment, brainwashing, and training of child soldiers in third world countries.  The film's star, Abraham Attah, deserved a nomination similar to Quvenzhane Wallis is 2012.  Idris Elba looked destined for his first nomination and an outside chance at winning.  At the very least, it would get the attention of the tech categories for the beautiful work of Fukunaga and his crew, showing that the first season of True Detective was a sign of the greatness to come from this young filmmaker.  However, it got no recognition.  Why?  It wasn't because of the all black cast.  It was because it was released on Netflix.  It received enough of a theatrical run to qualify for awards season, but everyone could see the film streaming online as soon as it was released.  Maybe this meant none of the important people saw it.  Maybe it meant all the moneymakers in Hollywood refused to vote for a film that refused to bring in a box office income.  Either way, Beasts of No Nation didn't get the credit it so much deserved.  Go find it on Netflix now if you haven't seen it.  It will break your heart.

9.  Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

(dir. by JJ Abrams)

Now to shift gears in the furthest direction possible from the last film, here's Star Wars, the biggest box office darling of 2015.  There is a reason it made so much money though.  It was that good.  It was a film that brought the franchise back down to earth ... or whatever planet they happened to be on.  George Lucas ruined the prequels with overuse of the digital.  JJ Abrams made it all look real again.  Sure, there are way too many parallels between this and A New Hope to ignore, however it doesn't change the fact that it was possibly the most entertaining theatrical experience of the year.

8.  Room

(dir. by Lenny Abrahamson)

This was the last film I required myself to watch before I made my list, and I am so glad I did.  This film is very similar to 2011's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close as it explains a horrific experience and ordeal through the eyes of a child.  However, where Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close resorted to mental illness and puzzles to connect with the audience, Room stayed much more down to earth as we see possibly the most honest and genuine performance of the year, and I am not talking about Oscar-winner Brie Larson.  Jacob Tremblay's performance in this should go down as one of the greatest child performances of all time.  His unique perspective on life and the world is shown in every moment he, or his voice, is on screen.  Somehow, this heartbreaking story of abduction and captivity is made heartfelt and inspiring through both Larson's and Tremblay's performances.

7.  The Revenant

(dir. by Alejandro G. Inarritu)

He did it again.  Who, you might ask?  There are several perfectly acceptable answers to this question.  Let's start with director Alejandro G. Inarritu.  Just one year earlier, Inarritu took home Oscars for Best Director and Picture for his groundbreaking film Birdman.  Now, he goes in a completely opposite direction and tells this story of struggle and survival in the wilderness.  His keen eye for beautiful filmmaking and setting in this might be rivaled only by Ang Lee in today's Hollywood.  Now, the other very acceptable answer to my original question is, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio.  Although he may have finally been recognized by the Academy with his first Oscar for this film, he once again proves that he might go down as one of the greatest actors of all time.  He has such a natural ability to disappear into any role he plays, and not in a campy, makeup way like Johnny Depp.  Leo just simply is whoever he needs to be.  Whether it be as the "King of the World" in Titanic, a con-artist kid in Catch Me If You Can, an eccentric entrepreneur in The Aviator, an undercover cop in The Departed, a plantation owner in Django Unchained, a crooked stock broker in The Wolf of Wall Street, or a man mauled by a bear determined to survive and live in The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers the most believable performances in any film he makes.  He is simply the best of his generation, and it is about time the Academy honored him as such.

6.  Ex Machina

(dir. by Alex Garland)

This was definitely the biggest surprise of the year.  This brilliant film by Alex Garland, who had written several screenplays but was making his directorial debut here, explored the world of true artificial intelligence.  Appearing yet again on this list, Oscar Isaac (Star Wars) and Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars, The Revenant) star as the mad scientist and his guinea pig.  Alicia Vikander plays a robot that is very hard to recognize as such because she acts, thinks, reacts, and speaks just like a human.  It is an endlessly fascinating film that gets in your head and doesn't go away for awhile.  If you haven't seen it, do whatever you can to change that.

5.  The Hateful Eight

(dir. by Quentin Tarantino)

Why did I every doubt the master?  When I heard the plot and even saw the trailer for The Hateful Eight, it felt like a film that was bound to disappoint.  Quentin Tarantino makes films like no one else has ever even thought of.  However, a second consecutive film about a bounty hunter; this time stuck in a room for two hours with a bunch of other people?  Really?  I was skeptical to say the least.  Then I saw it and hated myself for ever thinking Tarantino could produce anything but a masterpiece.  This film's closest relative is definitely Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino's first film.  However, he also does things Tarantino has never done before.  He takes the time for long, landscape shots.  A filmmaker obsessed with dialogue let this film breathe almost more than any other film he has made.  I have said before that Quentin Tarantino has created his own genre.  The Hateful Eight shows that he is still the king of that genre he created.

4.  Brooklyn

(dir. by John Crowley)

Brooklyn is a beautiful story of love, loss, and self-discovery.  It is like a 20th century Jane Austen tale.  Saoirse Ronan is absolutely brilliant as a young Irish girl leaving everything she knows to find a new and better life for herself in America.  You know it is a good film when you are sad it ends because you want to live in these characters' lives a little longer.  I loved every minute of it.  On a side note, let's recognize the amazing year Domhnall Gleeson put together.  This is his fourth appearance in my top ten.  Few actors find enough work to put out four movies in a year.  Not only did Gleeson accomplish that, but all four films are among the very best of 2015.  Well done!

3.  The Martian

(dir. by Ridley Scott)

I have very high standards for movies in outer space, especially realistic ones.  Apollo 13 has scarred me for life.  With that said, The Martian is the closest thing to the greatness of Apollo 13 I have seen.  Matt Damon plays an astronaut left for dead on the Martian surface.  To everyone's surprise, including his own, he is still alive and must survive on Mars until someone can come get him.  Everyone made fun of the fact that this was categorized as a comedy at the Golden Globes.  Although I wouldn't classify it as such, it is quite funny.  Matt Damon and others are able to keep this potentially tragic survival story light and humorous throughout.  I normally am not a huge fan of Ridley Scott, but he really produced a masterpiece with this one.

2.  Spotlight

(dir. by Tom McCarthy)

The surprise winner of Best Picture deserved every accolade it received.  I have been a fan of Tom McCarthy's work for some time.  His unique way of telling stories in films like The Station Agent, The Visitor, and Win Win is always heartfelt and approachable, not matter the topic.  I even liked The Cobbler much more than I should have!  Now we find McCarthy's masterpiece.  Spotlight tells the true story of the investigation done by the Boston Globe surrounding child abuse and molestation in the Catholic church.  It is a heavy and depressing topic that could easily be preachy.  However, the film takes a very different approach.  It simply tells the story from the point of view of the reporters.  At no point do we "see" anything because the reporters didn't see anything.  Every character is a real person as the performances are some of the most understated and brilliant you will see on screen.  This is led by Liev Schreiber, an outsider new to the area that brings a fresh set of eyes to a topic many seemed to turn a blind eye to in the close-knit community of Boston.  It is a quiet, real, yet intense movie you cannot take your eyes off of.  Movies don't get much better than this.

1.  Inside Out

(dir. by Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen)

Pixar is king when it comes to animated films.  They simply operate on a different level than every other animated studio.  Their secondary film this year made my honorable mention!  However, every now and then, they make a film that is truly a masterpiece regardless of whether it is animated or live action.  Inside Out is one of those films.  It is fun and entertaining for the kids, yet it has a message that is profound and genuine.  This film takes you inside the head of a young girl where her five key emotions (Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness) control her actions and attitude.  The intricate world that is built to represent her mind is a genius way to describe how our brains work.  As chaos enters the young girl's life, chaos erupts in the brain's control room as Joy must try and fix what has been broken.  Being someone who works with kids often, I had such a deeper appreciation for the immense thought and care that was put into such a story that really explores the psyche of a pre-teen better than any film I have ever seen.  When Pixar makes films like this and WALL-E, they are not only making a fun kid's film.  They are making a cinematic masterpiece that will stand the test of time.

So there's my list.  What do you think?  Check our page later this week to see what films made our site's top 5 films of 2015.

Year in Review: Adam's Top Ten Films of 2015

2015 is finally in the books.  What a year it was too, not only for the big box office movies but also for the small indie films as well.  We had 9 movies this year have opening weekends of 80 million dollars or more (American Sniper, Fifty Shades of Grey, Furious 7, Avengers 2, Jurassic World, Inside Out, Minions, Hunger Games, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens).  6 of those films had opening weekends of 100 million dollars or more (Furious 7, Avengers 2, Jurassic World, Minions, Hunger Games, and Star Wars).  Then 2 of those films broke 200 million dollars for an opening weekend (Jurassic World and Star Wars).  In the first 20 days of being released, Star Wars has already broke the all time domestic record, set by Avatar in 2006.  Star Wars has made, as of 1/9/2016, 781,141,043 dollars and still going strong!  

We saw some sequels make some huge comebacks.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Creed, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Jurassic World and Furious 7, have showed us that these franchises are a live and well.  They showed us that sequels can actually be better than some of the films in previous installments.  

As for indie films, we were giving some really good ones (Spotlight, '71, Mississippi Grind, Love and Mercy, Brooklyn, It Follows, Slow West, 5 Flights Up, The Revenant, Sicario), just to name a few.  Though there was some duds too (The Danish Girl, Welcome to Me, Adult Beginners, Big Game).  I feel like even though there was a lot of good ones, this year just doesn't stack up for quality to last year.  

As for performances, we witness a lot of good ones that will wreck havoc on Oscar voters.  Leonard DiCaprio (The Revenant), Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina), Jenifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), and Johnny Deep (Black Mass) gave us some really gripping performances.  Directors can be stars as well.  Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant), J.J. Abrams (Star Wars 7), George Miller (Mad Max:Fury Road) and F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) gave us some of the most iconic images of the year.  

Before we get to my Top 10 list, lets hand out some awards to the people who make the films of 2015!

Total 2015 films seen: 120

Thumbs up percentage: 64%

Movies I need to see, that could make my list: Carol, The Martian, Son of Saul, The Look of Silence, and Amy

Actor of the Year:

Domhnall Gleeson

(Ex-Machina, Brooklyn, The Revenant, Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

Actress of the Year:

Alicia Vikander

(Testament of Youth, Ex-Machina, Seventh Son, Burnt, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Danish Girl)

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant, Johnny Deep - Black Mass, Oscar Issac - Ex-Machina, Michael B. Jordan - Creed, Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs

Best Actress: Emily Blunt - Sicario, Charlize Theron - Mad Max:Fury Road, Brie Larson - Room, Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn, Amy Schumer - Trainwreck

Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro - Sicario, Idris Elba - Beast of No Nation, Sylvester Stallone - Creed, Tom Hardy - The Revenant, Jason Mitchell - Straight Outta Compton

Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander - Ex-Machina, Jenifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight, Cate Blanchett - Cinderella, Rachael McAdams - Spotlight, Elizabeth Banks - Love and Mercy

Best Breakout Performance: Alicia Vikander - Ex-Machina, Daisy Ridley - Star Wars:The Force Awakens, Shameik Moore - Dope, Taron Egerton - Kingsmen, Lilly James - Cinderella

Best Director: George Miller - Mad Max:Fury Road, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - The Revenant, Ryan Coogler - Creed, Pete Doctor - Inside Out, Tom McCarthy - Spotlight

Best Original Screenplay: Inside Out, Spotlight, Sicario, Ex-Machina, Straight Outta Compton

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Revenant, Creed, Steve Jobs, The Big Short, Brooklyn

Most Underrated Films: Dope, Steve Jobs, Unfriended, McFarland USA, Mississippi Grind, The Gift

Most Overrated Films: The Big Short, Trumbo, The Good Dinosaur, Legend, Tomorrowland, Chappie, The Danish Girl

Biggest Surprise: Parallels, Creep, The Intern, Danny Collins

Biggest Disappointment: Avengers:Age of Ultron, Chappie

Best Sequel: Creed

Best Laughs: Trainwreck, Sleeping with Other People, Let's Kill Ward's Wife, Spy 

Best Scares: It Follows, Cartel Land, Insidious Chapter 3,  

Bottom Five of the Year (from bad to worse): Sinister 2, Hot Pursuit, The Gallows, Paranormal Activity:The Ghost Dimension, Mortedecai 

Check out my Top Ten Worst Films of 2015

Honorable Mentions: Kingsmen, Southpaw, McFarland USA, Jurassic World, Beast of No Nation, 

It Follows (David Robert Mitchell)

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (Brett Morgen)

Sleeping with Other People (Leslye Headland)

Trainwreck (Judd Apatow)

 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (J.J. Abrams)

10.

The Hateful Eight 

(Quentin Tarantino)

It seems like every time Tarantino makes a film, its always on peoples Top Ten list.  This year is no different.  The Hateful Eight can easily be compared to the movie Clue.  Its a western 'who done it' movie, with a ton of character!  This movie follows a bounty hunter (Kurt Russel) and his prisoner (Jenifer Jason Leigh) as they journey through the Wyoming winter.  They come across a few crazy characters along the way (Samuel L. Jackosn and Walton Goggins) and they all must hold up in a cabin due to a blizzard.  Their they meet a few more characters (Dern, Madsen, Roth, Bichir) that make the story even more interesting.  The characters are so rich in backstory, it makes it really enjoyable to see them interact with one another.  The second half might be even better than the first.  The 'who done it' part is really well written and paced.  It might not be Tarantino's best work (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs) but its definitely deserving of a spot on this list.  You should check this out if your a fan of a good Tarantino flick, heck they are all good.

9.

Brooklyn

(John Crowley)

Brooklyn, to me, is a beautiful movie about growth and independence.  Saoirse Ronan plays Eilis, a young lady who leaves her small Irish town for Brooklyn, New York.  Now, Eilis isn't necessarily brave and adventurous, she is shy and cautious.  She is on the cusp of womanhood and she has to take those finally steps on her own.  She has to learn how to overcome her shyness by making new friends at the department store she works at as well as the boarding house she resides.  She falls in love with a local man and begins planning her life with him.  But after a tragic incident in her hometown, she must journey back, and figure out what her heart is telling her is right.  It's a beautiful movie of how we must grow into adulthood and to follow our heart.  Saoirse Ronan gives us one of the best performance of the year!

8.

Straight Outta Compton

(F. Gary Gray)

This movie was my most anticipated movie of the summer!  This film shows us the rise of N.W.A., the world's most dangerous group.  Jason Mitchell (Easy E), O'Shea Jackson Jr (Ice Cube), and Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre) are amazing in their roles.  I enjoyed the journey that this movie took us on.  This movie came out at the right time, considering all the negative press about police brutality recently.  I enjoyed singing along with the songs in the theater (along with everyone else) and seeing how this group along with other rappers came up in the business.  This movie would make an awesome HBO series as well.

7.

Spotlight

(Tom McCarthy)

This the true story about how the Boston Globe uncovered the child molestation cover up with in the Catholic church.  Another perfect timing movie.  As I was watching this, I was blown away with the amazing performances and how well this film was put together.  Even though I enjoyed this movie a lot, I still had a hard time watching this knowing what the final outcome will be.  I have a daughter myself and I want to protect her from anything like this from ever happening to her.  It's hard believing that an organization, like the Catholic church, would do something like this to kids.  Truly breaks my heart.  I'm glad McCarthy and Singer penned this script and made this movie so the world knows about these things.  Going to be one to look out for come award season!

6.

Mad Max: Fury Road

(George Miller)

In the time of big CGI movies (Avengers:Age of Ultron, Jurassic World), its good to see a movie that uses practical effects.  It is so good to be back in this world and it feels like we never left.  Tom Hardy steps into the shoes of Max, taking them from Mel Gibson.  Even though this is a Mad Max film, his limelight is stolen from him by one of my favorite character this year.  Charlize Theron plays Imperator Furiose, a kick ass female movie character on par to the likes of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from the Alien franchise.  This was a non stop thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  

5.

Inside Out

(Pete Doctor)

This movie is such a unique experience that is super enjoyable for the whole family.  Pixar is finally back with a fresh new idea and it pays off.  It's a movie about the emotions in our head.  It follows little girl, Riley, as she moves with her family to San Francisco.  Now as a person who moved around a lot as a kid, made this movie hit home even more.  Having a daughter made it hit even harder.  I actually teared up 3 times in this movie and I'm glad I did.  It's such a sweet movie about our feelings.  This is a good movie for the kids and adults.  

4.

Ex Machina

(Alex Garland)

The movie that made, Alicia Vikander, a star!  It follows a young programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) as he is selected to particapte in an experiment in A.I. by evaluating the human qualities of a female A.I. (Vikander).  The creator (Oscar Isaac) of the A.I. Nathan, and Caleb (Gleeson) build a strange relationship as they work on their project.  What's even stranger is the relationship between Caleb and Ava (Vikander), which is some of the best parts of the movie.  What movie that makes you think, and will leave you with even more questions after it is over.  Definitely a god conversation starter.

3.

Sicario

(Denis Villeneuve)

I am sensing a trend,  A third perfect timing movie.  This movie follows FBI agent (Emily Blunt) who in enlisted by a government task force to aid against the war on drugs.  This is such a hard movie to watch.  The way it is shot, makes you want to take a hot shower right after it.  The performance of Blunt, Del Toro, and Brolin are amazing and it is such a same that they are not getting recognized for any awards.  If you watch the documentary 'Cartel Land', it will make this movie even better.  

2.

Creed

(Ryan Coogler) 

 The last time Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler made a film (Fruitvale Station) it was amazing and made my top ten too.  The amazing thing about this is that Ryan Coogler actually wrote this a pitched it to Sylvestor Stallone.  Stallone liked it and the rest is history.  It follows Adonis Creed (Jordan) as he struggles to make an name for himself in the boxing world.  He turns to his late fathers best friend, Rocky Balboa.  Stallone gives one of the best performances of his carer, Oscar worthy.  I enjoyed the chemistry between Stallone and Jordan.  Jordan has continued to show us how he is one of the best young actors out there today.  The cinematography is one of the most underrated parts of this film too.  

1.

The Revenant

(Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

The Revenant, is my favorite movie of the year and hears why! 1) Leonardo DiCaprio is amazing as Hugh Glass.  Granted, he is one of my favorite actors working today.  My favorite film he is in is 'The Departed' though I feel that this role is even better.  I totally feel like he should finally receive the Oscar he has been chasing for such a long time.  2) Inarritu has shown us the last two years, how to direct a movie.  His long, beautiful, and gripping shots are truly breathe taking.  He builds the tension, that leaves you on the edge of your seat.  3) The score played perfectly with the way the movie was paced.  I love John Williams (Star Wars) but Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto, totally put an amazing score together that shines in the film. 4) Tom Hardy, is amazing and totally being overlooked during award season.  I really like Hardy as an actor and usually enjoy ever role he is in.  But man, I hate this guy in this film.  5) Now I didn't watch a single trailer for this film, so I went end completely unaware of what I was going to witnessed.  So glad I did.  6). Last thing, is that out of every movie this year, this was the one movie that is head and shoulders above the rest.  I realy enjoyed every shot and I can't wait to see this again!  The tense moments between characters and the the tense moments between Leo and the environment make for one amazing cinematic experience.  I can't say enough good thing about this movie!  This movie is not for the faint of heart and won't be liked by everyone, but for this guys it's my favorite film of the year!

Well that's my list an awards!  What do you think about them?  What is your Top Ten?

Thank you again!

Heres to an even better 2016 at the movies!

Adam 

Ex Machina (2015) Review

Directed by
Alex Garland

            The opening scenes of Alex Garland’s Ex Machina bear an unmistakable similarity to the set-up for Jurassic Park: A young man at an office receives a mysterious invitation to a remote land far removed from civilization.  His coworkers seem jealous, as the invitation appears to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  After all, it been sent by the CEO of the company, a mysterious and enigmatic genius with vast sums of money and, evidently, free time.  “How long until we get to the estate?”  The young man asks the helicopter pilot as they traverse the mountainside by air.  “We’ve been flying over his estate the past two hours,” replies the pilot.

            When the helicopter lands, the young man, Caleb (Domhnall Green), must walk through the forest to get to the estate of the surreptitious CEO, Nathan (Oscar Isaac).  Although Caleb is not a paleontologist (he’s actually a programmer) and Nathan is anything but kindly old Richard Attenborough, it is soon revealed that like Jurassic Park the purpose of Caleb’s visit is to be the first witness to a milestone step in human evolution: The creation of artificial intelligence.  A being that can not only comprehend and use language, but have emotion, intellect, and even a sense of humor.  And instead of this artificial intelligence lodged in the form of an impersonal computer shell, the robot has designed in the shape of a beautiful human female (Alicia Vikander).  Nathan informs Caleb that her name is Ava.  But before Ava can be mass produced, she must first pass the “Turing Test” – whether her robotic qualities can go undetected by average citizens like Caleb.

            Ex Machina begins with a familiar premise deeply entrenched within the most standard of science fiction tropes: The mad scientist who encounters a breakthrough which simultaneously signals the advancement of human engineering as well as the imminent threat of major danger and catastrophe on a global scale.  Fortunately, however, Ex Machina differentiates itself in a number of crucial ways – ways which make the film anything but routine.

            One of these differences is the characters.  The film only contains four roles – Caleb, Nathan, Ava, and Kyoko, Nathan’s Japanese maid who does not speak any English (“So that I can talk business out loud without worrying,” Nathan informs Caleb).  Thus, the bulk of the action takes place in one of two settings: Either during conversations between Nathan and Caleb, or during Caleb’s face-to-face sessions with Ava.  A programmer by trade, Caleb is intrigued by the way in which Ava has been engineered to understand the nuances of human language and communication.  His first questions are understandably laden with technical details which, perhaps surprisingly, seem to offend Nathan initially.  “No, no, no – I want to know what you think of her,” he tells Caleb.  Not whether her motor skills are effectively comparable to human vocal patterns but, you know, whether he likes her personality or not.

            Caleb gradually realizes that Nathan hardly fits the bill for a standard mad scientist.  He spends most of the time drinking alcohol or lifting weights to get rid of nasty hangovers.  He doesn’t use scientific jargon and comes off as friendly, affable, and even goofy (one potentially tense moment between the two is eased when Nathan breaks into a sudden dance with Kyoko).  Caleb relishes at the opportunity to work as Nathan’s beta tester, although he marvels at his god complex and remains suspicious about the surroundings – especially since so many locations in the house are kept off limits while sudden mysterious power outages occur sporadically.

            And as for Ava the robot – well she’s everything you could ever imagine in advanced artificial intelligence.  She has perfect command of language, is able to articulate her thoughts and feelings, and even draws pictures.  She puts on human clothes and even seems to be capable of understanding abstract human concepts like flirtation, embarrassment, and intimacy.  Caleb’s interactions with Ava are limited to once a day with a glass barricade separating them and Nathan viewing the interaction through surveillance video.  What’s interesting about these the way these sequences are filmed by Garland is that it’s never really clear whether Ava’s the one being interrogated, or whether it’s Caleb.  Visually, Caleb is the one sitting in the more enclosed, tighter space making him almost appear like a prison inmate, while Ava is able to move about with greater freedom.  But physical interaction such as touching remains strictly off-limits.  It feels a little like Clarice Sterling and Hannibal Lector.

            There’s more.  Much, much more.  I dare not spoil some of the surprises this story has to offer, except to say that because the story is so narrowly focused on four people – only two of which can claim to be both human and able to understand English – Ex Machina is less concerned with the events that transpire and more interested in personalities of its characters.  It would not be inaccurate to consider the film more of a nuanced character study than a true science fiction film.  Caleb functions not only as a skeptic and foil to Nathan’s pseudo-philosophical diatribes on robotic evolution (“Soon humans will be looked at the same way we look at relics of skeletons excavated in the plains of Africa,” he poetically waxes at one point), but is gradually shown to carry some degree of care and even sympathy for Ava.  What gives Nathan the right to sentence his creation to a life of imprisonment fortified within the lifeless walls of his laboratory?  If Ava can think and communicate like a human, does that not also make her capable of having feelings of loneliness, isolation, and curiosity about the world around her?  The same world she has been systematically suppressed from?

            The question at the heart of Ex Machina is not only whether robots can process and replicate human communication, but whether – if the technology became possible – robots should be equipped with those uniquely human faculties.  In the world of Ex Machina, the engineering of artificial intelligence become so advanced that robots even adopt some of the worst deficiencies of human intellect and character; the capacity to be deceptive, for example, as well as the capacities to manipulate and carry long-standing resentment against others.  Caleb feels bad for Ava like we might feel bad for a dog locked up in a cage at the animal shelter.  Where Garland’s screenplay is exceptional, however, is its ability to as the question of whether the imprisonment of nonhuman life forms could ever be considered ethical and even beneficial to the rest of human society.  Thankfully for audiences desiring narrative complexity in a sci-fi film, Ava’s harm to humanity does not come in the form of machine guns or explosive devices, but in her excelled learning capacities and her callous indifference toward human emotions.

            Simply put, this is a brilliant film. At a time when overreliance on computers threatens to destabilize virtually every part of the human experience – from basic interaction to romance to education to vocational skills – Ex Machina is a reminder that humanity and its attributes still remain the most fundamental components to a successful and engaging story.  Because after seeing this film and reflecting deeply on it, what is Ex Machina really trying to say?  I think what Alex Garland is saying, among other things, is that human-ness is defined by flaws and blemishes, whereas the only real flaw of artificial intelligence is that it is engineered by humans – the very same humans who consistently put to test its capacity to have complex thoughts, emotions, and orchestrations.  This skepticism proves very costly by the end, and it’s not unfair to characterize the movie as basically one extended operatic poker game between Caleb, Nathan, and Ava, with each one wondering who is playing the bluff.    

            Ex Machina is the kind of film you probably need to see twice; not because the story is overly labyrinthine or contrived, but because what you see in front of you does not truly reflect everything that is actually occurring before your eyes.  This is the kind of film you ponder long thoughts into the night about – about what Nathan’s true motivations and preparations are, about whether Caleb is truly as naïve as he comes off, and whether Ava is capable of human feeling after all.  It’s what all great science fiction strives to do – engage the intellectual as well as emotional senses – and for the love of god, it doesn’t include loveable robots with machine guns jumping off buildings.  It serves as a reminder that every once in a while, a movie can better articulate our collective excitement, fears and trepidations about the future than most of us can ourselves. 

Rating: 4 stars