Review of Ex Machina (2015) by Emily P — 16 Apr 2018

Ex Machina as a Romantic Comedy.

Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is the typical, relatable, romcom worthy 'nice guy'. Approachable, almost stable and having the grand potential to be taken on a life changing journey by the right woman. He would fit right in with Tom from (500) Days of Summer and William from Notting Hill. When he meets Ava (Alicia Vikander) through quirky boss turned quick friend Nathan (Oscar Isaac) via selection for participation in a new experiment, his entire world changes. The only problem is that she is an A.I. who also just so happens to be the newest and most prized invention of Nathan that he has been assigned to study. Stuck between his job and the woman he loves, as well as physically stuck in a middle of nowhere super genius lab, Caleb tries to figure out whether to follow his heart or his head.

The "nice guy" character has been put under the microscope in the past year as the #MeToo movement has swept the nation, but Caleb is different from the problematic and secretly sinister 'nice guy' because he genuinely is a 'nice guy'. He doesn't expect the human decency he shows to Ava to be seen as "nice" and receive sexual or emotional payment from her, which many men who claim to be the "nice guy" tend to think. Caleb first approaches Ava with respect, astonishment and good manners, not expecting anything in return until she, without coercion, says that she too feels the same as he does. Caleb being caught behind glass, unable to touch Ava during many of their initial conversations, further explores the idea of being a "nice guy" as a physical representation of first understanding someone without physical satisfaction.

Of course what complicates this is the fact that Ava is an A.I. and it is up to the viewer to decide if she can feel love at all. This is a central theme of the plot with Caleb and Nathan representing both sides. Caleb believes that Ava has the capacity to feel love while Nathan doesn't, but it is up to Ava's actions to determine the truth. The script is both cunning and relatable and the most important aspect of the film. Imposing love onto Ava not only as a humanoid but simply as a woman, or at least a woman like being, by men is almost a revolt against the manic pixie dream girl trope found in other rom coms. The cinematography also deftly plays with illusion and reality, tacking on another romcom element through Caleb's black and white daydream of him and Ava escaping into the only place their love could exist, the chaos of nature.

With these deep meditations on love it is up to Nathan to relieve some of the tension. As the comic relief of the movie, Nathan is eccentric, brilliant, a great dancer as well as a great mind who loves to wear bathrobes and live in the center of an uncharted forest. His unfiltered mind and tendency to naturally spout witty remarks at Caleb not only is hilarious but also serves as half of the old couple Caleb would hope not to become. Nathan uses a less mentally advanced A.I., Kyoko, as his partner and is in a loveless relationship, which is not what Caleb wants for himself and Ava, envisioning in once scene in black and white him and Ava escaping into nature, almost as if in a dream.

This movie has been ignored as a serious romantic comedy for too long. It is genuinely hilarious, especially during many of Nathan's scenes as well through the awkward nature of Caleb's 'nice guy' and falls into many of the romcom tropes such as the old vs new couple, the play between illusion and reality as well as the using the universality of wanting to be loved as what connects the film most to the audience. If you're looking for a rollicking good time, look no further than Ex Machina, because love is impossible to quantify but exhilarating to experience.