Ex Machina

Eine sensible und spannende Darstellung einer künstlichen Intelligenz mit einem geheimnisvollen Hauch und einem angenehmen Science-Fiction-Feeling. Die Darstellerin des Androiden spielt perfekt. Aber die überraschende Wende und ihre dramatische Nutzung beweisen, dass das Intellekt des Drehbuchautors und Regisseurs Alex Garland nicht das von seinen genialen Männerhelden überragt. (22.05.2015)

Clear evidence that electronics labeled smart are a potential threat. That’s why I decided to disconnect my smart washing machine. I'll miss the quiet rustling of my dirty laundry, but what wouldn't a man do for safety. I also unplugged my computer because it was suspiciously overheating while playing this movie, and my monitor because it was flickering suspiciously. I'm glad I caught it so early, no one will make a fool of me! (05.09.2015)

Ex Machina doesn’t bring anything groundbreaking, untraditional or shocking to the table, but the way it gets to its (non-revolutionary) outcome is so convincing that I was enchanted by Garland and I even considered giving him five stars. The script is very smart, it confuses the viewer with a variety of frantic possibilities for the plot to move forward (that they have to figure out together with, Caleb, the protagonist), only to take the less crazy and more logical path. The viewer is basically in the skin of Caleb and the ending feels like a devastating revelation. Whenever I thought that the script was getting stupid, after a couple of minutes it became clear that what was stupid was the behaviour of one of the characters, and the script was very well aware of that stupidity. Ex Machina is sci-fi in the tradition of the best representatives of the film and literary genre. The soundtrack and the design of the interiors and exteriors also deserve special praise. (03.05.2015)

As a matter of fact, the premise is pretty simple and builds on the psychology of two characters and one android. It is nice that films like this one get to be filmed these days, but the more of them there is, the more critical I am towards them and here everything stands and falls by the premise, which is not bad, but it is a base for a rather small-scale film. At least the ending made everything pretty clear. (05.06.2015)

Wenn Alex Garland sich ebenso viel darum bemühen würde, die psychologischen sowie symbolischen Aspekte herauszuarbeiten, wie er es im Falle des Designens der Umgebung sowie der Vortäuschung von Gewandheit getan hat, ginge es sicherlich um einen sehr komplexen Film. Doch so wird dies leider zu etwas, das ich, um eine Arbeitsbezeichnung zu verwenden, als Hipster-Sci-Fi bezeichnen würde - als einen Streifen, welcher darauf ausgerichtet ist, gut auszusehen und einen starken ersten Eindruck zu hinterlassen. Sobald Sie jedoch dieses Spiel ernst nehmen und eine Diskussion mit ihm beginnen, erfahren Sie, dass der Charakter simple und gut konzipierte Phasen durchläuft, wobei er sich als erfinderisch präsentiert. Sicherlich klingt vor Pollock jedes Gespräch ein wenig klüger und die weibliche Schönheit wirkt in Klimts Umgebung noch verletzlicher, doch Ex Machina gelingt es viel besser, Disco zu tanzen, großartige Macho-Posen von Oscar Isaac darzubieten und das mörderisch fragile Sexappeal von Alicia Vikander zu präsentieren (sobald sie seriengefertigt wird, heirate ich sie), anstatt mit etwas lustig anmutenden taktile Details und manieristischen Hintergrundbeleuchtungen zu verblüffen, die uns vor allem mitteilen, dass es sich bei Ex Machina nicht lediglich um eine unterhaltsamee Geschichte handelt. Doch in Wirklichkeit ist dies auch nichts mehr. Joseph Kosinski geht Indie, ungeachtet dessen, ob´s nun gut oder schlecht ist. [70%] (29.04.2015)

Clever and sophisticated. Just to its own detriment, not as clever and sophisticated as it seems. Above all, the final fifteen-minute ending gives the impression that they don't know how to go on, so they just make it easier for themselves and incorporate the easiest way out of it in terms of a screenplay. They do not care at all it doesn't fit the previous story line. The Black Mirror anthology often addresses the same themes and asks the same questions, but finds much more interesting, more disturbingly current and not so obvious answers to them. Which does not mean that it is not a nicely intimate, intelligent and, above all, high-quality sci-fi, which is quite rare. Especially in Czech cinemas. PS: And if nothing else, at least the shooting took place at the Norwegian Juvet Landscape Hotel, so it is an impressive example of organic architecture in practice. (28.04.2015)

A gender chess game for four players. Eight years after its premiere, and in the context of Garland’s two subsequent films, Ex Machina has proven to be not only a shining directorial debut, but also a curse. Based on this film, Garland, who served as both director and screenwriter, has been inappropriately pigeonholed in the sci-fi and fantasy genre. As in his later films, however, the genre is merely a stylistic framework not for reflections grounded in science fiction and fantasy, but for interpersonal and relationship contemplations. Garland is fascinated by artificial intelligence as a field that mirrors gender issues, particularly in the sense of consciously and unconsciously stylised performance, as well as the observation, adoption and use of roles or codes that underlie most human interactions, even though they are artificial and unnatural at their core, or rather they are not inherent to our unique personalities. At the same time, Ex Machina examines the objectification of women and the extent to which we perceive the real personality on the other side of interpersonal interactions between members of the opposite sexes or, conversely, whether we merely project gender codes and patterns onto the other’s personality. It’s actually not surprising then that, on the one hand, the film is enthusiastically embraced by geeks who see themselves as Nathan, even if they are rather Caleb, while on the other hand, some paradoxically accuse it of sexism and objectification based on an interpretation that is equally limited and blind in principle. (28.07.2022)

Ex Machina is not a film for everyone. This genre is usually associated with the expectation of a grand spectacle with action elements, whereas this film is an intimate conversation piece, an emotionally charged love triangle, and a clever cat-and-mouse game. Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence is touching, 2001: A Space Odyssey is monumental, I, Robot is action-packed, and Her is melancholic, but Ex Machina is primarily clever. True, the resolution lacks originality and cleverness, but let's face it - if it had those, the film would probably lose its connection with a significant portion of its audience. A film should not be smarter than its viewer, as otherwise, it risks commercial failure. Ex Machina may not be as expensive and epic as American sci-fi films usually are, but for a less affluent European production, it certainly was a big treat. While the sentiment of the acclaimed film Her completely missed the mark for me, I was completely captivated by Ex Machina. It is heading in the right direction, asking exactly the questions that I consider important, and it works on an emotional level as well. Playing god is not worth it, and Ex Machina strongly warns that artificial intelligence is not just a challenge with enormous possibilities, but also (and perhaps especially) an ethical problem and a great risk. Overall impression: 95%. (07.10.2015)

Or how alcohol and programming could destroy human kind. The fantastic Alicia Vikander in the role of an innocent robot seduces the viewer who then willingly goes along with her game, gazing lovingly into her artificial eyes to the end. Garland works with an amazingly attractive concept and manages to deliver an exceedingly satisfying experience for both sexes. Gleeson is cast brilliantly as the classic nerdy programmer, but the jaunty Isaac (not Asimov) easily outplays him. A philosophical construction genius, drunk as a skunk, copulating till he’s blind, while still thinking straight. + lots of shots of bare bosoms. An unassuming gem amongst robot movies. Catching music. Man is saved by his good deeds. (31.05.2015)

A minimalist, visually attuned film, punctuated by LEDs, a polished eco-house in pristine nature, ambient atmosphere and ethereal music. As long as there's philosophising over AI vs human and small but clearly outlined and fairly consistent emotions are brought to the surface, everything is perfectly fine. It's a shame about the stilted finale that doesn’t deliver anything extra, but Garland is good. (23.09.2015)

If it was a Black Mirror feature film, I would be fully satisfied, but I probably expected a little more from the non-TV movie, no matter how much I enjoyed it from the beginning to the relatively unexpected end. Alicia Vikander is amazing and shows how you can act using only your face when you know how, Domhnall Gleeson is likeable and I got to know the charismatic Oscar Isaac around the middle of the film. Some of the surprises were expected, some were not, none of it bothered me, and the film reminded me of the good old sci-fi days of Isaac Asimov. (17.05.2021)

A film very similar to its leading female character: beautiful, sensitive and intelligent on the outside, but cold and not very interesting on the inside. On the one hand, it's admirable that the true emotional and plot highlights of the film are the conversations between Gleeson and the robotic Vikander; on the other hand, it's sad that everything around it, including the mysterious Isaac's character and his motivations, feels so unconvincing in its inability to generate any unexpected twist or novel formal idea of significant viewer interest. The film flows beautifully, the two scientific subjects ask more questions than they answer, and the conclusion, while of good quality and a great reflection of all the tension that builds up between the protagonists over the course of the plot, can't quite break out of the lethargy set by the already overly intellectual conversational subject matter. Still, a rather interesting little gem in the chest labelled "intimate and proper sci-fi". 70% (11.06.2015)

Ex Machina ist eine intelligente und anspruchsvolle Mischung aus Science-Fiction und Thriller, die faszinierend, ehrgeizig und äußerst spannend ist und deren Handlungsverlauf nicht im Voraus vorhergesagt werden kann - meistens entwickelt er sich auf völlig unvorhersehbare und originelle Weise. Es entwickelt recht erfolgreich einen philosophischen Diskurs über künstliche Intelligenz und die damit verbundenen Risiken, beschäftigt sich mit der Frage nach dem Vertrauen der Menschheit in fortschrittliche Technologien und ob es eine Grenze gibt, an der der Unterschied zwischen einer robotischen, mit künstlicher Intelligenz ausgestatteten Kreatur und dem Menschen selbst verwischt wird. Es wirkt äußerst zeitgenössisch und realistisch und stützt sich auf die Möglichkeiten des Internets und heutiger Technologien sowie auf aktuelle wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse im Bereich der Robotik, der Biomechanik und der Softwareentwicklung. Darüber hinaus ist es hervorragend inszeniert, brillant geschrieben, die schauspielerischen Leistungen sind erstklassig und die technische Umsetzung ist großartig. Alex Garland, Applaus. Ausführlichere Rezension HIER. (31.03.2015)

Despite a couple of minor, purely subjective problems, mainly relating to the red-headed ooze in the lead role, this is a beautiful trip into the gossamer filaments of rarely and thoroughly intelligent sci-fi that should please perhaps all fans of the genre with a brain. It particularly dominates in terms of its slow distribution of information, which allows us to place ourselves easily in the role of the protagonist and let ourselves get chewed up intellectually and emotionally. Oh, and Oscar Isaac is a god who lights up every scene he appears in with the greatest of ease. (16.03.2015)

Es sieht langsam so aus, als wäre ich von Alicia Vikander besessen, wo ich doch in den letzten Tagen ständig Filme mit ihr anschaue. Besessen bin ich nicht, aber ich wehre mich nicht dagegen, darüber hinaus kommt in englischsprachigen Filmen ihre reizende Stimme besser zur Geltung als in ihren schwedischen Anfängen. Ex Machina ist für mich jedoch in einem bestimmten Maße eine Enttäuschung. Philosophisches Science Fiction gefällt mir größtenteils, doch das war für mich dann schon stark abgefahren, unnötig lang und langweilig. Die abschließende Auflösung und die Pointe waren nicht so stark, dass ich mich dadurch auf den Hintern gesetzt hätte. Ein durchschnittlicher Film. (13.08.2016)

Good, intimate sci-fi that definitely doesn't meet expectations by the end, and you may experience a similar disappointment as I did with the ending of "2001: A Space Odyssey". However, the acting is absolutely perfectly executed, and Oscar Isaac shows that he belongs among the best actors over 30 years old that the film world currently has. Among other things, this is also because he is not afraid to take on roles that are unconventional but definitely interesting. (18.05.2015)