The Machine (2013)

As may be known, I am a writer of technology thrillers. So my current selection of movie reviews is certainly no surprise. Most recently 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier', 'Robocop (2014)' and so now 'The Machine' (2013).

Of course, as a hardcore fan of the 'Person Of Interest' series, this title immediately makes me think of the omnipotent surveillance apparatus of the same name.

The film 'The Machine' by Caradog W. James has a similar subject.

In the near future, engineer Vincent (Toby Stephens) works for the British Ministry of Defense to create the first artificial intelligence. For this purpose, he also makes use of war-disabled soldiers. The AI engineer Vincent secretly hopes to develop a technology to help his sick daughter - even if this means for him a Faustian pact with the military-industrial complex, represented by his boss Thomson (Denis Lawson).

Young scientist Ava (Caity Lotz), who has made a major breakthrough in the field of AI, is brought in to the project on Vincent's recommendation. But Ava quickly begins to have doubts about the Department of Defense's methods, especially in dealing with veterans disfigured by cyber implants who are forced to serve as helpless test subjects or guards in the project's secret bunker. When an ambush faked by Thomson kills Ava, Vincent creates a machine modeled after the deceased Ava in an attempt to preserve some of her humanity. The experiment succeeds. But the machine is too perfect, too human. The unscrupulous Thomson wants to turn the childishly naive Machine into an indestructible, merciless fighting machine.

Visually, the film's simplicity is reminiscent of classics of the sci-fi genre, such as Blade Runner (1982) or Escape From New York (1981). The sound level also clearly pulls from these said classics with the electronic soundtrack. The actors all deliver a decent, in the case of the titular machine Caity Lotz even does an exceptional performance. A major shortcoming for me is the script. Director and screenwriter Caradog James fails to bring the multitude of plot threads to a satisfying conclusion. The film can't decide to stay on the level of a chamber play, and so an action-oriented showdown leaves most of the raised, interesting philosophical questions regarding a real artificial intelligence unresolved.

Conclusion: A sci-fi film with good intentions that is worth seeing despite its weaknesses.