I loved this thriller about a computer programmer named Caleb, his boss Nathan, and the robot Ava, created by Nathan. Jack wasn't as blown away as I, but he did say it's "very good." This is one of those stories where you should avoid spoilers. I did not see that ending coming at all (and if anyone who has seen this movie wants to discuss the ending, which one contributor of imdb considered a "goof," email me for my theory). The cast is fantastic, with Domhnall Gleeson (last blogged in Calvary) as Caleb, Oscar Isaac (most recently in A Most Violent Year) as Nathan, and Alicia Vikander (last in Anna Karenina, which also featured Gleeson) as Ava.
This is the directing debut for screenwriter Alex Garland (profiled for Never Let Me Go, another Gleeson picture, though I failed to mention his supporting role when I wrote about it five years ago) and it's gripping. I must mention the spectacular production design, especially Nathan's residence, by Mark Digby (A Mighty Heart (2007), Never Let Me Go, and lauded for Slumdog Millionaire), as well as Rob Hardy's (The First Grader) cinematography.
Lucky for us all, the score, by Portishead's Geoff Barrow (most recently in these pages for Exit Through the Gift Shop) and Ben Salisbury, can be streamed from this link. It's appropriately trippy.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are on the same page as I am, averaging 91%, as are its audiences at 89%. Do check this out at your neighborhood big screen.
No comments:
Post a Comment