Article Preview: Movie review: ‘Ex Machina’ is the droid you’re looking for - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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2015-04-25

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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services Science of Wine fundraiser planned Highland Games return to Wimer May 2 Klamath Tribes hope to gain USFS lands Since You Asked: New turf is in the budget Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Central Point garage fire believed caused by electrical issues Medford mushroom grow suspect facing federal child porn charges Serial killer's squalor Man arrested for stealing keys, truck, fuel from Lithia car lot Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Gov. Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s earthquake election Former state Senate President Brady Adams dies Education Needs improvement SWAT students track progress of stream restoration efforts Students participate in fuel reduction effort at Ruch School New funding formula awards universities for graduating more students Official hopeful whooping cough case at John Muir contained Environment Residents say armed mine supporters sully Josephine County's reputation Armed protesters gather at Medford BLM office over Sugar Pine Mine dispute Jackson County's wildlife services agent seen as both killer and savior Biomass technology: Creating products out of former waste Sugar Pine Mine co-owner: "Please stop calling the BLM and threatening their personnel" State News US Rep. Newhouse proposes ending protection for wolves Judge proposes Oregon bakery pay $135,000 to lesbian couple Oregon House committee OKs more background checks on firearm sales Search for missing plane, pilot in Oregon enters third day Cheetah, dog are fast friends Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Maurice "Zeke" Ziegler Phillip Stevens Larry E. Dameron Marie Melvina Besette-Hull James Emmett Boozer Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Cavemen dominate at Newland Classic South Medford's Moore pitches two no-hitters MLS plans to expand beyond 24 teams Oregon wins distance medley relay at Penn Relays Harden, Howard power Houston past Dallas Varsity 541 College Sports Oregon wins distance medley relay at Penn Relays SOU's Neal fifth, Reitman seventh in CC multis Aspiring Duck quarterback bucks the odds Marshall stays with Ducks to get better Eckert, Beavers take series from Arizona Pro Sports MLS plans to expand beyond 24 teams Harden, Howard power Houston past Dallas Swafford, Weekley lead weather-struck Zurich Timbers, Sounders to resume fiery 40-year rivalry Lillard looks for turnaround at home Community Sports Bailey picks up modified win Wilson delivers in return of local boxing Palmer breezes to second straight men’s title Business Latest Stories Travel boosting Oregon economy more than ever Blog: Weekend Impossible Business briefs Ride & Drive: 2015 Nissan Frontier Erickson finds room to work at Medford airport Real Estate News New home in an old house Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house GREEN ACRES: Southern Oregon provides escape from the maddening crowd Since You Asked: Metro Medford rebranding proved economical Jackson County median home price hits $215,000 in first quarter People In Business Transportation Erickson finds room to work at Medford airport Lithia Motors nets $40.7 million in first quarter Lithia Motors reports second-best quarter ever Business briefs Medford airport's record run continues Agriculture Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house New bosses take charge at Harry & David Dancin Vineyards covers up Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, April 25 Other Views: UO president search happened in the dark Matthew T. Mangino: Faulty hair analysis has far-reaching implications Granlund cartoon: Paging Dr. Oz Our View: Buildings belong with the Jackson County Library District Editorials Other Views: UO president search happened in the dark Our View: Buildings belong with the Jackson County Library District Our View: Public's right to film police should be protected Our View: Raises for Jackson County officials — again Other Views: Delay edible marijuana products for safety Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, April 25 Letters to the Editor, April 24 Letters to the Editor, April 23 Letters to the Editor, April 22 Letters to the Editor, April 21 Columns Michael Gerson: 'The Road to Character' starts with humility Dana Milbank: The right's new claim: same-sex marriage is deadly Kathleen Parker: Mr. Hughes goes to Washington Esther Cepeda: What happens in Latin America should be reported Kathleen Parker: Presidential election 2016: The woman trap Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: This Earth Day, we celebrate the Northwest Forest Plan The Medford School Board was wrong: 'American Pageant' is a political agenda, not history The Medford School Board was right: 'American Pageant' is a fine book, and the board did its homework Guest Opinion: Removing barriers to walking, biking benefits everyone Guest Opinion: Conversion therapy on LGBT youth is child abuse Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: 'Good' sushi may be more rare than real wasabi Anniversary: Bobbie and Don Mills celebrate 60 years together Anniversary: Wayne and Shirley Tinnin celebrate 50 years together Community blog: Jackson County Votes to Pay Wildlife Services: the War on Wildlife continues ENGAGEMENT: Sellers-James Food Community blog: 'Good' sushi may be more rare than real wasabi Community blog: Oregon Breweries to grow or seriously to grow? The joy of true wasabi Season Stepp: Veggie treat hidden deep inside artichokes Tammy Kelly: The South’s favorite side dish — slaw Home and Garden Costa Living: Basking in flower power Garden Cameos: Spring is time for azaleas in the garden Dear Monty: Seven costly mistakes of new real estate investors Paul Rogers: Enjoy convenience of container gardening Home Help: 3 quick, easy kitchen and bath upgrades Health Health Watch: Tips for protecting your eyes Dr. Jeff Hersh: Could severe cramping mean endometriosis? Dr. Murray Feingold: Is pre-op testing for cataract surgery necessary? Community blog: What about Lucy? Brent St. Germain: One year and counting Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, April 24 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 17 Religion briefs: Friday, April 10 Religion briefs: Friday, April 3 Milestones and Achievements ENGAGEMENT: Sellers-James Witham's birthday bash draws hundreds for 1950s prices Charlesworth-Murphy Drizzle doesn't dampen Pear Blossom Parade spirit New Arrivals: Sunday, April 12 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories 5 picks for live entertainment this week A Taste of Ashland pairs food and wine at galleries Rogue Valley Earth Day 2015 Regional brewers, distillers, winemakers at Harry & David Field Moment in Time presents 'Viejo con Nuevo' Theater 'Secret Love' playwright Stan Lai appears in Ashland REVIEW: 'Secret Love' strikes comical, poignant balance Ashland New Plays Festival chooses new artistic director A tale of two plays at OSF Oregon Cabaret Theatre's "The Musical!" delivers five clever Broadway parodies in Ashland Music Maria Muldaur at the Unitarian Fellowship Genticorum at Paschal Winery Southern Oregon Repertory Singers Live Music in Local Clubs The Farr Side: Slow disappearance of physical music Community Events A Taste of Ashland pairs food and wine at galleries Rogue Valley Earth Day 2015 Foreign language film festival set at SOU Regional brewers, distillers, winemakers at Harry & David Field Third Fridays celebrates poetry, student art Movies Reader Review: 'Danny Collins' a sentimental and funny tribute to John Lennon Reader Review: 'Birdman' for the birds Movie review: ‘Ex Machina’ is the droid you’re looking for Movie review: Fairly smooth sailing for ‘The Water Diviner’ Movie review: ‘Age of Adaline’ is sweet but a little sloppy Dining Island Grindz serves up Hawaiian specialties Have you wandered down the Bear Creek Wine Trail yet? Restaurant inspections: April 19, 2015 Siam Cafe offers 'mild' to 'very spicy' Thai cuisine Restaurant inspections, April 12, 2015 Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED   » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW   Klamath Tribes hope to gain USFS lands       ...       Residents say armed mine supporters sully Josephine County's reputation       ...       Medford mushroom grow suspect facing federal child porn charges       ...       Klamath Tribes hope to gain USFS lands       ...       Residents say armed mine supporters sully Josephine County's reputation       ...       Medford mushroom grow suspect facing federal child porn charges       ...           Movie review: 'Ex Machina' is the droid you're looking for By Christopher Lawrence The Las Vegas Review-Journal MailTribune.com By Christopher Lawrence The Las Vegas Review-Journal Posted Apr. 24, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Christopher Lawrence The Las Vegas Review-Journal Posted Apr. 24, 2015 @ 12:01 am »  Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Come for the sci-fi. Stay for the humanity. With “Ex Machina,” writer-director Alex Garland (“28 Days Later”) has crafted an intimate, wondrous, unsettling look at artificial intelligence. It brings to mind everything from “Jurassic Park” to “Pinocchio” while transcending the usual genre trappings. But for all the in-your-face technical wizardry that went into creating Ava (Alicia Vikander), the robot progeny of tech billionaire Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), it’s the smallest details that prove to be the most interesting. The reclusive Nathan flies Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), one of his top programmers, to his lush mountain estate for a weeklong Turing Test. As highlighted in “The Imitation Game,” Alan Turing’s methodology aims to determine whether a machine can exhibit enough intelligence to fool someone into thinking it’s human. So Caleb spends his days making small talk with Ava and asking her questions through a glass partition like scenes from an awkward first date. She draws pictures for him, flirts and, because Caleb and Nathan are the only humans she’s ever met, longs for nothing more than to visit a traffic intersection so she can watch a variety of people going about their days. Soon, Ava uses Caleb’s microexpressions to intuit that he’s attracted to her, even though the only parts of her that look human are her face, ears, hands and feet. She’s been given a wire mesh crop top and booty shorts but everything else is translucent, leaving her wiring exposed. During one of their interview sessions, Ava excuses herself to put on a dress, a sweater, leggings and a wig to make herself appear more girlish. There’s a shyness and an awkwardness to the way she reveals herself to Caleb, much like Ally Sheedy’s Allison after her “Breakfast Club” makeover, that’s equal parts inspiring and heartbreaking. It’s also more human than most actions you’ll see on a movie screen. “Ex Machina” reels you in much the same way as Ava seduces Caleb. It’s a teasingly slow build — part love story, part science experiment — that makes a few of the movie’s twists seem even more surprising. As Nathan, the eccentric genius forever monitoring his creation via surveillance cameras, Isaac (“Inside Llewyn Davis,” “A Most Violent Year”) continues to cement his status as one of cinema’s most versatile and exciting new talents. Vikander (“The Fifth Estate”), meanwhile, instills Ava with an inherent sweetness and curiosity that proves, much like Scarlett Johansson’s voice performance in “Her,” that love doesn’t always have to make sense. And it certainly isn’t solely the domain of humans. “EX MACHINA,” rated R for graphic nudity, profanity, sexual references and some violence. Grade: B. By Christopher Lawrence The Las Vegas Review-Journal MailTribune.com By Christopher Lawrence The Las Vegas Review-Journal Posted Apr. 24, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments   /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ »  STAY INFORMED   Email NewsLetter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed   Email newsletter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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