Oscar Isaac, left, and Domhnall Gleeson in Ex Machina. Courtesy Pinewood Studios
Oscar Isaac, left, and Domhnall Gleeson in Ex Machina. Courtesy Pinewood Studios

Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson talk about Ex Machina



"It's a sci-fi film about a reclusive billionaire genius programmer who invents a robot with AI and he has one of his employees come and test it to see if it has consciousness," says a breathless Oscar Isaac, who plays said genius in Alex Garland's smart-thinking new sci-fi Ex Machina.

The character also enjoys a more physical relationship with his creations, the actor reveals, so when the chance to play the role came up, he says his reaction was: “Count me in. Count me in.”

You can understand Isaac’s excitement about being a part of a film with such a weird and warped take on the dangers of artificial intelligence.

The actor and singer, whose big movie break came with his acclaimed starring role in the Coen brothers' film Inside Llewyn Davis, plays Nathan, the brains behind Ava (Alicia Vikander), an alluring, extremely lifelike robot. Joining him in judging whether she can pass for human is one of his employees, Caleb, played by Domhnall Gleeson (True Grit, Unbroken).

"Ex Machina was one of those films I'd always wanted to be in," says the Irish actor. "I read it and thought: 'I can't believe I'm going to be in this.'"

Gleeson had acted in two other films scripted by Garland – Never Let Me Go (which dealt with cloning) and the 2000AD comic-book adaptation Dredd.

"He's one of my favourites – I think he had a lot to say," he says of first-time director Garland, whose previous film work as a scriptwriter also includes the Danny Boyle films 28 Days Later and Sunshine. "I bought the screenplay for Sunshine last week, to read it again. I love that movie."

He immediately fell for Ex Machina too, which sets up a tense three-way dynamic between Ava, Caleb and Nathan.

“It’s the sort of sci-fi I like, which is character and high personal stakes, as opposed to some idea of what would be cool to have in a movie,” he says.

“It’s really psychologically taut.”

Isaac agrees, saying that the film addresses pertinent questions – not least about whether mankind can or will ever create true artificial consciousness.

“I definitely think we’re on our way there,” he says. “We are so dependent on our machines ­already.”

In a bizarre twist, Isaac and Gleeson were reunited for a slightly larger-scale sci-fi movie – the hugely anticipated Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, which was partly filmed in Abu Dhabi last year, amid a huge shroud of secrecy, and will be released in ­December.

"I didn't know until he walked in to do the first reading of Star Wars that Domhnall and I were both in it," says Isaac with a laugh. "Pretty crazy."

Ex Machina is out now at cinemas across the UAE

artslife@thenational.ae

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.

Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.

The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Brief scores:

Toss: South Africa, chose to field

Pakistan: 177 & 294

South Africa: 431 & 43-1

Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0