Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 18th April, 2014
Time : 119 minutes
Director : Wally Pfister; Writer : Jack Paglen; Music : Mychael Danna
Starring : Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara, Clifton Collins Jr, Josh Stewart
This film takes thoughts seeded by predecessors like Terminator series, iRobot and even the recent ‘Her’ to a logical next level…what happens if we let a self-aware artificial intelligence with an almost human consciousness loose on our planet ? What will the AI do ? And equally important, how will we humans react ?
Johnny Depp, a celebrity scientist, has been trying to build one such AI, with the help of his wife, Rebecca and in co-operation with a couple of eminent personalities, Paul Bettany and Morgan Freeman amongst them. Even the government, represented by an FBI agent Cillian Murphy is impressed and keeping tabs on the developments. But there are a group of very tech savvy radicals, led by Kate Mara (nice to see her outside House of Cards) who see it as the beginning of a very slippery slope and are determined to stop him and it by any means. They attempt to assassinate Depp. And then their worst nightmares come true…
The film is very (and quite unnecessarily) slow paced. There are a million logical inconsistencies, which I’m sure will be obvious to any watcher. But it does raise some fascinating questions – and shows, at least in a couple of realms, what could be possible by such an AI – especially using nano-technology. There are also some lovely visuals – rain against the windshield reflecting light, a monstrous array of solar panels in the desert, pristine white corridors, sunflowers blooming, droplets of water falling and spreading…all accompanied by a great music score…
I felt Johnny Depp, with his limited screen presence, looked out of place in this role. It didn’t really need him. Rebecca and Paul Bettany really caught the eye with excellent performances, with Kate doing it more with her shocking bleached blond locks.
I find such films fascinating…trying to take the questions raised to their logical conclusion. Am reminded often of the line in Matrix, which points out that the human race is actually the real virus afflicting out planet. And the more such films I watch, the more I observe around me, the more I find its true…
14 comments:
By virtue of working multiple geographies, one gets to understand the different ingredients to life / human race.. Your words reveal...
Typical movies that we see at a theater, where we see suspense and surprise and fiction that was conceived in the minds of the producers and screenwriters.. But such unusual movies describe what causes things to happen and why... The plots in these movies are grounded in theories of causality, however, the results of these actions are perfectly predictable. .. ... There Is a wonderful conundrum left to us by the Greeks. It was first put to print by the author Plutarch and it's known as the Ship of Theseus : given that every last part of it had been replaced, was it still Theseus's ship ? The Athenians still called it Theseus's Ship... but was it ? I want to turn that into a similar philosophical question for you : Why do people change ? Boring, you say ? Probably to those who seek entertainment.... Another feature of movies of this sort is you can watch the future, too - before it actually occurs.
I found it quite a good watch for a lazy weekend. It was a more laid back approach to the question, wasnt entirely preachy and did leave some questions open, like a faint after taste after a good meal.
Rajdhani ka mausam loobhawana ho gaya hai.... Western Ghats ki aabo hawa yahan aa gayi hai...hum kubool karte hai...aur hamein khwaabon ki saigaah meib jaane ki ijaazat dein.. Inaayat hogi..
Zahenaseeb... Shabbakhair...
I'm half living my life between reality and fantasy at all times...
According to a latest survey : men fantasize about women who are in their 20s, whereas women are interested in men who are similar in age ...
Bicentennial Man should be drinking an Australian Chablis of fine vintage. I feel sure their whites will soon be making the French look to their laurels...
I realize that I like him more than I have allowed myself to believe... Why must love and relationships always come with conditions that are unfavourable to someone ? Even this nicest Indian guy still has a secret patriarchal bent in his genes..
Find it kind of strange, the kind of respect I draw at school, admiration from children, esteem regard from parents and support from colleagues. A pat on the back by the headmistress... It all vanishes when it comes to spouse. Got a seat reserved for him, (he never turned up....) all I wanted was my better half to be there when I got a standing ovation and cheering from the management/crowd/parents/guests...
Kabhi kabhi samajh nahi aata, main kaha galat hoon
Time constraints ? Are you out of India ? Any plans of coming to this part of the country ? Lovely weather here... Missing...as always..
Aaj wale publish ho gaye....baaki kyu nahi ?
Is screen time messing with your sleep ? What is the most frustrating part of your work ?
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