Trainwreck

         If you like Amy Schumer, then you are going to like ‘Trainwreck’.  If you love Amy Schumer, then you are going to love ‘Trainwreck’.  This is a film by comedy guru Judd Apatow that is a showcase for Amy Schumer’s brand of comedy.  She came onto the comedy stand up scene a few years ago and made a name for herself with her uniquely Amy brand of humor.  Always brash, usually vulgar, sometimes over the top, but always with a hint of honesty and heart that people can relate to. Come to think of it, that is the profile of many Judd Apatow films, so I don’t know why it took so long for these two to get together.

As far back as she can remember, Amy learned that monogamy is not a practical lifestyle.  This was reinforced by her father (Collin Quinn doing a great Collin Quinn impression) who hammered this into her had after his divorce.  As Amy grew to adulthood, her relationships consisted mainly of one night stands and absolutely no second dates or sleep overs.  She landed a job as a writer at a men’s magazine and everything appeared to be going her way.  That is until one day, when she is assigned to write a story on Aaron Collins (the always delightful Bill Hader), a sports medicine doctor who also happens to be best friends with LeBron James.  I usually detest sports figures who try their hands at acting, especially when they play themselves.  This is an exception, as LeBron showed that he has some pretty impressive comic timing for a sports star.  He had some of the funniest lines and scenes in the movie and he was more than just a novelty appearance.  

Like most Rom Coms, ‘Trainwreck’ follows the usual formula of the montage of quirky fun-around-town activities that cause the heroine to fall for the man despite her resistance.  There is even the quirky best friend (SNLs Vanessa Bayer) to tell her how wacky she is.  All of that is formula (which I hate), but Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer are able to break the mold with the over the top Amy style crudeness and cynicism of her comedy.  Much like ‘Bridesmaids’ did years ago, Amy shows that women aren’t one dimensional when it comes to comedy and they can get shock laughs just as good (and often better) than their male counterparts.  I will claim as much guilt as the next guy as to rather getting a root canal than sitting through a romantic comedy, but Aptaow is able to bring enough edge to appeal to anyone looking for an R-rated comedy

Amy struggles to reconcile falling for the perfect guy with her belief that she will screw up any relationship she is in.  Her sister’s idyllic married life draws both admiration and revulsion from her.  She has fallen for her new boyfriend Aaron, but doesn’t see how it will work.  Aaron, for his part, loves Amy for all her quirks (although he does have an amusingly hard time coming to grips with how many men she has slept with).  If I have one criticism of the film is that it is a little long and the sudden sad turn during the third act stretches past the point of effectiveness. Apt is too experienced of a director to have let it plod along as long as it did.  Despite that criticism, it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of this showcase for Amy Schumer.

If she isn’t a household name by now, this film will be the start of a long and industrious career for Amy Schumer.  She will add her name to the ranks of comedians who have made the jump from stand-up to the Big Screen (with a small stop on television).  I loved the inclusion of all the bit parts with everyone from Jon Cena playing Amy’s sexually confused booty call, to Dave Atell as her street person/confident.  I highly recommend this film as I do all Judd Apatow films (Well, most of them) and encourage anyone thinking this is just a normal romantic comedy to take a chance and be prepared to laugh.

I give this film ** 1/2 stars

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3152624/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Ant-Man

       Say what you want about Marvel, but they know how to make a fun movie.  There are a lot of critics who love to blast Marvel as a blockbuster making machine that produces nothing but high budget, super hero schlock and from their perspective, they are correct.  However; one thing you can’t say about Marvel is that they are afraid to take risks.  The multi-movie story franchise was a Marvel innovation from the very beginning.  While most studios would have been content to crank out the exact same formula until the well runs dry, Marvel takes chances and, for some reason, the naysayers are salivating for Marvel to fail.  It hasn’t happened yet.  Critics predicted (hoped) that last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy, about an unknown ragtag group of aliens that the mainstream knew nothing about, would mark the end of the Marvel machine, but it turned out to be the highest grossing film of the year.  Likewise now, a film about a tertiary Marvel hero with ridiculous powers, shrinking, has bloggers searching for the chink in the Marvel armor.  After Friday’s box office results and a projected $80 million opening weekend, the headlines read “Ant-Man has second lowest opening weekend for Marvel”.  Really? In what other universe does an $80 million opening weekend constitute a failure?.  

‘Ant-Man’ is a much smaller (pun intended) movie than its’ blockbuster brethren and not a typical superhero movie.  I applaud Marvel for giving us something different, yet still weaving it seamlessly into the broader Marvel universe.  This is a much lighter and fun movie that goes for a younger demographic, but is still fun for all ages. Instead of a super-hero, we have a reformed cat burglar who is in no way looking to be a hero. His goal is not to save the world rather find a way to be with his daughter.  The movie had a feeling of a cross between ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ and ‘Iron Man’.  The difference is that special effects have exponentially improved since 1994 and some of the effects of the world from a miniature perspective are truly awe inspiring.  

Marvel has never been afraid to mess with the comics storyline orthodoxy.  Currently, even in the comics, the company is changing the story line of characters that have been around for over 50 years.  It has to be changed and rebooted to remain relevant.  I’m a purist as much as the next comic geek, but there comes a time when characters and stories need to be brought up to the current time.  In this case, the story centers on Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a down-on-his-luck father, just out of prison and looking for a way to earn enough money to be able to see his daughter again and be a part of her life. During a bungled burglary attempt, he inadvertently steals a mysterious suit belonging to the reclusive inventor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglass, still showing that he can do an action film).  Hank was already in turmoil as his protege, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) has cracked the secret to his shrinking technology and is seeking to weaponize it to make his fortune.  Desperate to stop this, Hank recognizes the burglary talents of Scott and recruits him to break into Cross’s labs and steal his prototype suit and destroy all the research located there.  

At its’ core, this is an exciting heist movie with a super hero twist, but it also has the heart of a family movie as well.  Hank Pym’s estranged daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lily) is now CEO of Cross industries and Hank’s attempts at reconciliation with her are some of the most touching moments in the movie.  Likewise, Scott’s desperation and the lengths he will go to be a part of his daughter’s life are equally touching and provides the driving force for the movie.  Despite all this, it is a fun and funny movie with Paul Rudd being an inspired choice for someone who brings both comedy and action to the role.  The special effects are truly awe inspiring and the pseudo-science involving controlling ants is fun if not a strain on credulity.

Despite the different tone, this is a Marvel movie and part of the greater Marvel universe, so many cameos and Easter eggs are scattered throughout.  One of the best fight scenes in the movie involves Ant-man breaking into the Avenger’s headquarters and fighting the Avenger he finds there.  Frequent Avenger references and two great post credit scenes assure us that Ant-man will be an integral part of the Marvel universe in the future.  As always, keep your eyes open for a cameo by the 92 year old Marvel comics founder, Stan Lee.

Of all the Marvel films, I feel this is the most kid friendly, but don’t think this doesn’t have something for everyone.  This will not be a record breaking blockbuster, but it will do well and be another building block in the Marvel universe.  This is a perfect Saturday morning matinee to bring the kids and enjoy it thoroughly yourself.

I give this film *** stars

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3829444633?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Terminator: Genysis

         So, ‘Terminator: Genysis' has been getting a lot of bad press.  I think critics are tired of the reboots and recycled ideas that Hollywood has been putting out.  While I don’t entirely disagree, I will say there is an enjoyment at seeing a fresh take on an old classic. ‘Terminator: Genysis’ attempts to update and modernize the ‘Terminator’ franchise and I have to confess, as a time-twisting, mind-bending piece of science fiction, it wasn’t half bad.  I can see why the critics thought it was over blown and over confusing, but for those who enjoy trying to follow and unravel the paradoxes of time travel and alternate time lines, this was an entertaining ride.

The story of Skynet sending back a Terminator to 1984 to prevent the birth of John Conner, the savior of mankind over the machines is well known for anyone who follows the franchise.  John Conner (Jason Clarke) sends back his trusted soldier, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) to foil the Terminator’s mission and save his mother Sara Conner (played respectably by ‘Game of Thrones actress, Emilia Clarke).  In a paradox of time, the soldier that is sent back becomes John Conner’s father.  This time, something different happens and when Kyle Reese arrives in 1984, he does not find a helpless Sara Conner, rather a hardened fighter who has been protected and trained by a Terminator her whole life.  Arnold’s obvious age difference is explained as the human tissue of the Terminator ages just like a human’s.  I will say I was quite impressed at the use of old (actually young) Arnold footage from the original movie that is superimposed in the current one.  The illusion of young Arnold fighting current Arnold was seamless.

SInce the timeline has been altered, the reboot has open license to take the story wherever they want. The action was fast and furious, but an engaging, albeit confusing, time twisting tale was woven in.  This was not just some poorly written action flick rather a well thought out revamp that hopes to continue and expand the franchise.  I thought the film was at its’ weakest when it tried to inject humor into the mix.  It seemed out of place, and candidly, just not funny as events spiraled out of control in the dark and dystopian world they were trying to create.  As I stated earlier, the special effects were stunning and the roller coaster ride was worthy of a Saturday matinee popcorn movie.

The insight as to the creation of Skynet was well done and modernized to reflect the fears arising from today’s dependency on technology.  Whether we realize or not, we are addicted to digital technology and the film lays out how that will be our downfall when the machines finally gain self awareness.  This was an artfully crafted story that taps into the fears of our current dependencies and extrapolates where it will take us.  A parable for the modern age which is the basis of all good science fiction.

When the original ‘Terminator’ came out, it was a low budget, almost campy, B-movie that somehow rose above its’ genre.  The special effects were nothing special, even by 1984 standards, but through a terrifying story at the dawning of the computer age that was just beginning to touch our collective consciousness and from the sheer star power of the future Govenator, Arnold Schwartzenegger, ‘The Terminator’ became more than a cult classic, it became a cultural phenomenon.  Terminator 2 captured the magic and went big budget, but it has not been able to repeat that X-factor that makes a movie stand the test of time.  I understand why studios try to reintroduce and reboot these classics, because they have a built in audience base from nostalgia alone.  I will say that was a respectable and enjoyable attempt.  No hard feelings here, but I doubt it will start the mega-franchise the studios were hoping for.

I give this film ** 1/2 stars

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2621615897?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_7

Entourage

Vince (Adrian Grenier) and his entourage are back and, if you were a fan of the HBO show, then it’s more of what made Entourage a hit show.  It’s a male fantasy of fame, fortune, and excess while bringing your friends along for the ride.  I would compare this to Sex in the City for men in that it gives an insight into the male psyche even if it isn’t a realistic attainment for most.  The story picks up right where it left off with super-agent Ari (Jeremy Piven) becoming the head of a major studio and Vince deciding to make the jump form major movie star to his director debut.  If I have one complaint is that this movie just felt like another episode of Entourage.  No stakes were raised nor was anything new brought to the big screen. Other than upping the amount of celebrity cameos and exotic locales, nothing new was brought to the table. However; that doesn’t mean it’s not a lot of fun and if you enjoy living out a male fantasy then, well I would call it a nostalgic ride, but it just went off the air a few years ago.  How long does something have to be off the air before you get nostalgic.

Each of the members of Vince’s Entourage have their own sub-plots in this film, which play out in sit-com formulaic gags, but the true fun in this film revolves around Ari’s attempt to live a calmer and more normal life (no one plays manic intensity better than Jeremy Piven).  His ability to do that is tested when Vince goes over his production budget and the film’s Texan financier (Billy Bob Thorton) sends his buffoonish son Travis (played by dramatically changed Haley Joel Osment).   Travis takes an instant jealous dislike to Vince and starts threatening to shut the production down unless changes he demands are implemented.  Namely, cutting Drama (Kevin Dillon) from the film in an effort to cause a rift among Vince’s life long friends.  

It’s a fun plot, but not enough to fill up an entire film, so as I stated, sit-comesque sub-plots are introduced.  The weakest of which (but that doesn’t mean it’s not funny) is Drama getting caught in a sex tape scandal.  Turtle (a slimmed down Jerry Ferrara) also had a weak sub-plot which was basically a showcase for Ronda Rousey to try to make her cross over from mixed martial arts.  I think if the two had better chemistry it would have been more interesting, but Ronda didn’t embarrass herself and might have a future action career.  E (Kevin Connolly) oddly had the most engaging sub-plot where he wrestles with the birth of his child with his ex-wife Sloane (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and becoming what he always denied he would become; a shallow Hollywood player.  

The reason Entourage works is the same reason Sex in the City worked.  It’s not that the stories are that complex, but it’s characters we come to care about living a life we all wish we could.  What male hasn’t wished for enough fame and fortune to bring his friends along for the ride and to have them watch his back no matter what happens.  Ari, despite all his rants and berating, loves this crew and the star he discovered.  Piven does a great job at showing his reluctant affection and in turn, the Entourage is there when Ari needs them most. Sure the nudity is gratuitous and the excess and parties are a juvenile fantasy at best, but it’s a fun indulgence if you don’t mind watching a movie that does not try to have any redeeming social value.  

This could have very well have been shown last Sunday on HBO and I wouldn’t have known this was a movie.  That is my primary complaint.  If you feel like paying $10 for something that used to come as part of your HBO package then have at it.  It’s a fun time filled with lots of Hollywood life and cameos.  Go ahead and live the fantasy, but be prepared to come back to reality afterwards.

I give this film ** stars

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1674771/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Mad Max :Fury Road

       The eighties were the era of the cult indy films.  There were many classics that became instant guilty pleasures and lasted longer in our collective psyche than they should have.  Pulp movies like the Highlander and Robocop still are discussed and remembered fondly to this day and have spawned their own franchises beyond the movies.  However, the one that started it all (and Mel Gibson’s career pre-Lethal Weapon) was George Miller’s  ‘The Road Warrior’ (actually a sequel to 1979’s ‘Mad Max’, but that did not have the mainstream success of ‘The Road Warrior’).  When I heard that they were going to reboot Mad Max after almost 30 years, I felt an almost collective shoulder shrugging across the internet.  Reboots are the norm now and the various reboots of nostalgic movies have met with limited success (the respectable, yet forgettable Robocop reboot being a prime example).  However; then I saw the first trailer and the names attached to the project and my interest was piqued.  ‘Mad Max:Fury Road’ breaks the typical blockbuster formula and delivers an unapologetic R-rated orgy of destruction and mayhem while offering a confusingly beautiful visual opera of a post-apocalyptic future that continues the story of Max, the Road Warrior.

Believe it or not, an argument could be made that Max (played this time around by the flawless Tom Hardy) wasn’t even the main character of this film, rather he was just along for the ride.  The film focuses on Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a high ranking warrior in one of the last surviving despotic enclaves of humanity, who seeks to smuggle the harem of a ruthless dictator named Immortan Joe to freedom. I doubt too many other actresses could make a ragged, crippled, head shaven character appear seductive, but Chalize pulls it off.  Her gaze is hypnotic with steely determination to deliver oppressed women from the masculine evil, embodied in Immortan Joe, that she feels destroyed the world.  She seeks to transport the harem to the ‘Green Place’ she was taken from as a child.  Immortan Joe marshals his force of white men (literally white colored men, not a political race statement) to track down Furiosa and bring back his harem.  That’s the plot in a nutshell.  Nothing complex.

What is complex is the incredible visual feast that George Miller creates. The dialogue is minimalist almost to the point where speech surprises us when it is heard.  Miller also destroys the cinematic myth of the lone wolf hero.  In life, lone wolves are quickly squashed by the collectives and Max is dispatched early in the film.  As Max himself states, he has been reduced to a single instinct; Survival. His escape from Immortan Joe and teaming up with Furiosa’s band is an act of self preservation rather than any heroic act of nobility.  As Immortan Joe sets out in pursuit, a 2 hour opera of death and destruction commences with only minor interludes.  It does have moments of tedium in the non-stop carnage, but the visuals are so stunning at times, the monotony of violence is forgiven.

One could also make an argument that this is a feminist film.  Chalize’s Furiosa is the central character.  She is a woman and while that is embraced by her, it is not her overriding defining characteristic.  I haven’t seen a character this strongly explored since Ripley from the ‘Aliens’ franchise. Furiosa is strong and determined to deliver innocents from the evil of male oppression, but she takes the world as it is and pushes no other agenda than the freeing of innocents.  Her gaze and resolve are unwavering and she is the true hero of the film while Max struggles to keep up in order to find his own ride to freedom.

Nicholas Hoult plays Nux, one of Immortan Joe’s warriors who seeks to prove himself worthy before death.  He provides welcome insight into the seemingly generic white warriors in pursuit of Furiosa.  Nux and his fellow warriors have been convinced by the megalomaniacal Immortan Joe that the key to happiness is in dying for their leader and waking up in Valhalla (warrior heaven).  How else can one explain the absurd lengths in which these warriors flail themselves to almost certain destruction in their attacks?  Having grown jaded by a lifetime of action movies, I still found myself breathless by the scope of the action sequences.  Far outpacing anything seen in the previous Mad Max movies, the action rises to a level of abstraction and, as I stated earlier, confusingly beautiful.  

This film is something we see less and less in the modern blockbusters.  Studios these days try to appeal to the largest audience possible in order to maximize the box office dollar.  They strive for some edge, but nothing that would alienate the family’s 8 or 80 yr olds. ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ is action and mayhem  in undiluted hard ‘R’ rated scope and glory.  Characters as odd as anything found in a Fellini or Burton film and with no agenda to appeal to Puritan mass audience sensibilities.  Dialogue takes a backseat to the stunningly beautiful and grotesque vision of a post apocalyptic landscape.  A worthy compliment to the Mad Max franchise even if Max is merely along for the ride.  A film not for everyone, but definitely an impressive piece of artistic achievement. This trailer gives an accurate insight into the flavor of the film.

*** 1/2 stars

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392190/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Avengers: Age of Ultron

       I always try to be up front about my biases when it comes to film.  Given the role that comic books in my childhood played, I have a particular excitement when it comes to super hero movies and I have been a great admirer of the Marvel machine that has not only produced quality work, but has also revolutionized the movie franchise system.  I find it hard to separate my excitement for seeing my childhood heroes come to life with honest and hopefully objective assessments of the films and how they stand on their own merit.  I will attempt to convey both viewpoints here.

For those who follow such things, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ is the culmination of Phase 2 of the Marvel plan to role out their comic book Universe onto the big screen.  The first phase introduced us to various characters through their own films then brought them all together in the epic ‘The Avengers’.  This was one of the highest grossing films of all times and a whole lot of fun for everyone. Now, at the end of the current Phase 2, we are at a crossroads where we visit our old friends from the past films, but are also introduced to new characters and plot lines that will be instrumental in the Phase 3 portion.  As a result, there is a lot of super hero goodness stuffed into a finite amount of time.  This could have ended up a colossal and convoluted mess, but Joss Whedon’s talent of orchestrating multiple characters and storylines is put to the test here and he produces an action packed storyline that does all that it sets out to do. He entertains with blockbuster action while at the same time developing characters which has been the hallmark of Marvel heroes up until now.  I won’t say that this film didn’t try to tackle too many things, but given what it tried to do, I doubt anyone could have done it much better

The film starts off with a bang with all the old familiar Avengers attacking a Hydra base in the fictional Eastern European country of Sokovia to retrieve Loki’s scepter from the first Avengers.  The action starts off fast and furious as we are immediately introduced to two new Marvel Characters; Wanda and Pietro Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver).  They were a very faithful adaptation despite having to avoid mentioning that Magneto is their father due to studio licensing agreements.  Quicksilver was a much more faithful interpretation than his character in ‘X-men: Days of Future Past’.  Despite the glaring omissions and altering of their history they were central to the story and well introduced.

         Of course this is an action film, however; even though there is action (and a lot of it), some of the films best moments are the interplay between characters.  The interplay of personalities from entirely different worlds (in some cases literally) is what makes these movies a step above mindless popcorn fare.  These are characters we care about and want to know more about.  The unlikely attraction of Black Widow to Bruce Banner has it’s humorous moments but is moving at the same time.  We discover more about the mysterious Black Widow, but not nearly enough. The underutilized Hawkeye from the first film takes center stage this time around as we learn about his life.  All welcome respites from the immense action scenes.

And then there is Ultron, the titular villain of this film, voiced by the wonderfully evil James Spader.  He is a creation of Tony Stark’s attempt to save the world.  While this has super hero purists up in arms because Ultron was created by Hank Pym in the comics, it fits nicely into the film’s narrative of humans being the creators of our own destruction.  Tony is becoming more and more obsessed with protecting the world (fueled in part by the Scarlet Witch induced hallucination).  His drive blinds him to the possible consequences of his actions and thus Ultron is born with the epiphany that the only way to save the world is to rid it of the human race.  While this story unfolds, Marvel attempts to set up plot lines for its’ Phase 3 series of films with seeds planted for the Black Panther movie as well as the next Avengers sequels featuring the Infinity Gauntlet.   All of which the layman will be unaware of as they watch the spectacle unfold.

From an avid critical film goer’s point of view, this film felt overwhelming with the mass of characters it tried to introduce and old ones it tried to wedge into the storyline.  None of which were developed to the extent they should have been.  The quiet moments were drowned out by the extravaganza of frequent and epic battle scenes.  However; as a former comic geek, the excitement was continuous as we were introduced to new characters that we never imagined we would see on the big screen.  The introduction of Paul Bettany’s The Vision was one of the highlights of the film and as perfectly done as I could have hoped for in a film.  Supremely powerful and intelligent, yet naive and pure.  This character is unheard of in the general population, but has been a fixture in the Avengers comic world since 1967.  

As the contracts of all the actors who portrayed the original Avengers are coming to an end, Marvel needs to bring in new characters who are equally engaging.  Ultimately, I believe this is a good thing to keep the franchise fresh as seeing the same actors play the same characters over and over again will begin to wear thin.  This way there is a constant influx of fresh blood to keep the viewers engaged.  My fear is that the Marvel cinematic universe will become so large and so complex that newcomers will begin to shy away due to the overwhelming magnitude.  Still, Marvel has been very adept at having each film stand on its’ own while being part of a larger narrative.  I hope so, as I eagerly await each installment.

I give this film *** 1/2 stars

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395427/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Ex Machina

        Some movies I see, just because there aren't others out.  ‘Ex Machina' is a small indie film that is in limited release, so I thought I would give it a try.  Fantastic!  So glad I did. This is a very low key film that takes its’ time evolving, yet I was riveted from start to finish. These are the type of surprises at the movies that makes me enjoy going so much.  My thanks to Alex Garland, the Writer and Director, for creating this piece of Science Fiction that doesn’t feel like a Science Fiction movie.  It’s more a study of what it means to be human and the consequences of both mankind’s genius and hubris. For years, great minds from Stephen Hawkings to Bill Gates to Elon Musk have warned that the greatest threat to the survival of mankind is not nuclear war or religious fanaticism, rather it is the rise of Artificial Intelligence.  We are within a generation of creating computers so advanced that they will replace humans as the dominant intelligent lifeforms on the planet.  It’s a familiar concept in recent years, but Ex Machina is one of the freshest and most intelligent explorations of this topic in recent memory

Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb, a young programmer for the world’s largest internet company, who wins a company contest to spend a week with the company’s reclusive founder, Nathan (played exceptionally by Oscar Issac) .  Caleb is flown to a remote lush wooded area nestled in the arctic where Nathan lives alone with his work.  Caleb discovers that the true purpose of his visit was to be part of an experiment to test Nathan’s latest creation; an Artificial Intelligence device placed into a seductive robot body named Ava.  This sounds like it could be a lame sexploitation plot along the lines of ‘Barbarella’, but it is quite the opposite.  This is an in depth look at the nature of consciousness and what it means to be sentient.  

Nathan explains that he wants Caleb to conduct the ‘Turing Test’ (based on the works of famed Allan Turing) with Ava.  Basically, the ultimate test to determine if an A.I. construct is indistinguishable from being human or merely a series of programmed responses.  When does the complexity of responses achieve a level that is completely human and where in that process is consciousness achieved in the construct?  When does an artificial construct become sentient.  Nathan respects Caleb’s opinion (for hidden reasons revealed later on) and sets up a series of interactive sessions between Ava and Caleb which he closely monitors.  The special effects in this film are few, but the robot body of Ava is one and it’s breathtaking.  Not for it’s sexuality (which it has), but for the flawlessness of the robot illusion.  She truly is like a Macbook come to life and one that you are instantly attracted to. 

Despite the state-of-the-art facility Nathan has constructed, frequent power outages occur where all systems go down.  When this happens during Caleb and Ava’s sessions, the banter turns from flirtatious to ominous.  Ava warns that Nathan is not to be trusted and he is not being truthful with Caleb.  When the power comes back on Ava returns to her previous flirtatious self.

Despite the warnings and distrust Caleb develops for Nathan, he is also drawn in by Nathan’s megalomania and mind stretching conversations.  Both agree that Artificial Intelligence is a freight train that cannot be stopped.  Humans are planting the seeds for their own extinction as their creations are becoming greater and more intelligent than themselves.  It’s not a matter of if rather a matter of when A.I. will exceed humans in capacity.  It can’t be stopped.  Caleb becomes torn between his loyalty to his employer and idol, Nathan, and to Ava, for whom he has begun to develop feelings, attraction, and sympathy for her plight of feeling prisoner.  He knows he can trust neither of them or even his own feelings to guide him as he finds himself in the middle of a power struggle between creator and construct.

There are so many things I love about this movie I don’t know where to begin.  This is an intellectual, intimate, and low key exploration of the topic, but the Director is able to achieve a level of tension and suspense that keeps the audience riveted to the point of exhaustion. The achievement of Ava as a sexual and intellectual construct without going over the top is an achievement in itself.  The film achieves the perfect balance so that the audience does not lose its’ suspension of disbelief.  I thoroughly enjoyed this film and was completely taken in by the storyline and interaction.  High marks.

I give this film *** 1/2 stars

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3832131865?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1