"Ex-Machina": Quietly Engaging, Nothing You Expect

Oscar Isaac is an actor that hasn't quite had his 'breakout' moment, despite being game enough. His performances (each one different from the last) in 2013's "Inside Llewyn Davis" and last year's "A Most Violent Year" were more than strong enough to warrant a leap into the A-List, however, he has stayed frustratingly under the radar.

That's not to say he has stopped trying. Though he is certainly being primed for a huge shift into superstardom with his role in the new "Star Wars" film later this year, Isaac is back with another fiery performance in a small indie.

"Ex-Machina" is as unpredictable as its star, Isaac. Sure, from the well cut trailers there's enough information to piece together it's a Sci-Fi movie about a cyborg. That cyborg, Ava (played by Alicia Vikander), was built by Isaac's character, Nathan, a recluse CEO. Nathan is confident that Ava is a scientific breakthrough, but needs to test her to make sure she's as much of a marvel as she seems.

That's where Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson of "Unbroken") comes in; Nathan uses Caleb's inquisitive personality to pick Ava's "brain", and see if she's capable of displaying humanlike intelligence. Through the interactions with Ava, Caleb learns she possesses a full range of emotions, including an affection for Caleb. A scene where she dons a dress and a pixie cut wig, the outfit she says she would wear on their first date, makes it clear that though she suffers from nativity, she's sure of her feelings.

But not all is what it seems, at least not to Caleb. Though seemingly unbothered by her situation (she is kept locked in a room surrounded by unbreakable glass), Caleb's growing curiosity, bordering on affection, for Ava makes him wary of Nathan, who gets drunk constantly and exudes a menacing aura through his reclusiveness.

What may seem like a modern twist on film's such as "A.I." and the timeless question, "What does it mean to be human?" is actually a wildly inventive and incredibly experience, one that's unlike anything in theaters right now. Where most sci-fi movies are focused on expensive visuals and awe-inspiring special effects, director/writer Alex Garland has crafted an enthralling experience that's focus on mood and its characters makes up for its lack of flair and flashy tricks. Isaac again delivers a performance so different from anything he's ever done before, and Gleeson is more than just a cipher for the audience; he's certainly a star on the rise, it'll be interesting to see where he goes from here.

But perhaps the best discover is, of course, Vikander, whose embodiment of pure ethereal innocence is not only vital to the film's shocking twist, but it's what sucks the audience into the film. Watching both Caleb and Nathan bicker over semantics and science makes for some compelling filler, but the real thrill comes from trying to figure out who Ava truly is, and what she's about? It's a performance in a similar vein to Scarlett Johansson's brilliantly subtle work in last year's "Under the Skin", but at the same time so different; it's a performance that's sure to help make her the new "It Girl".

Vikander's presence helps the hypnotic, dreamy aura Garland has crafted out of Nathan's seclusive mountain house; she's a perfect fit in this environment that seems like it's in a completely different world. Cinematographer Rob Hardy manages to find something interesting in every shot, keeping the forest brightly lit, with a stark contrast to the seedy darkness lurking behind every corner inside Nathan's compound. There are several scenes where the generator fails, leaving the rooms lit in a blood red light, that seem directly inspired by "2001: A Space Odyssey", and they're every bit as beautiful to look at as that film was.

The score, done by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, may just be tied for my favorite of the year behind the electronic nostalgia that fueled the music of "It Follows". But where that score was the thrill of that film, Salisbury and Barrow manage to amplify the thrills of the plot with menacing sounds, that simultaneously manage to keep you from looking away.

"Ex-Machina" is a bold debut by a new voice in the world of film, one that is more concerned with ideas than with visuals, but manages to still entice the eye, while pleasuring the other senses as well. It's been a long time since a film has lived up to the incredible hype behind it, let alone established itself as one of the best films of the year.

Grade: A

Oscar Chances: Though it has become indie distributor A24's biggest box office hit, I fear "Ex-Machina" may go the way of "Under the Skin" in terms of awards love. Vikander, however, may benefit from the good reviews and box office; she has a performance in the buzzy "The Danish Girl", which could propel her into awards season if the stars align.