Yesterday was cold, rainy, and gloomy. I can think of no better way to occupy a day like that than by seeing an atmospheric science fiction film at the Broadway, my favorite art house theatre. This film is outstanding. Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a computer programmer, is picked to spend a week with Nathan (Oscar Isaac), the reclusive CEO of the company Caleb works for, at his high-tech compound in the mountains (a key card is required to access various rooms in the facility). Nathan wants him to administer a Turing test to Ava (Alicia Vikander), an alluring humanoid artificial intelligence which he created, to see if she has consciousness. As Caleb interacts with Ava, he becomes more and more attached to her and fears for her ultimate fate. There is an incredible amount of suspense and tension as these three characters move to a final resolution which is not what I was expecting. The script is incredibly intelligent without being too scientific. To be sure, the big ideas involving the ramifications of artificial intelligence are explored (What does it mean to be alive?) but, ultimately, this movie is a thriller about three people, whose motives are all suspect, interacting in an enclosed space. It is ominous, to say the least, with every scene leaving me more and more unsettled because I was never sure what would happen next and I was never sure who was manipulating whom. The tension is heightened by the dramatic score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow (from Portishead). The juxtaposition between the expansive surrounding scenery (it was filmed in Norway) and the creepy interior of Nathan's hideaway highlights the claustrophobia. All three actors give highly nuanced performances, especially Vikander as Ava. Definitely see this smart and sophisticated psychological thriller.
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