On: Alex Garland’s cult novel The Beach, 20 years on

[codeulike]

Well firstly, its just a well made film. Like, that dance scene. Thats an iconic scene, hilarious and unsettling at the same time.

Furthermore (SPOILERS - use ROT13 to translate)

Gur svyz vf nobhg n fbeg bs Ghevat Grfg. Ohg uneqre guna gur ghevat grfg - "Anguna jnagf Pnyro gb whqtr jurgure Nin vf trahvaryl pncnoyr bs gubhtug naq pbafpvbhfarff, naq jurgure ur pna eryngr gb Nin qrfcvgr xabjvat vg vf negvsvpvny." - jvxvcrqvn. Arne gur raq bs gur zbivr Anguna erirnyf gur pevgrevn sbe cnffvat uvf grfg - pna Nin oevat Anguna gb gbgnyyl bire gb ure fvqr gung ur vf jvyyvat gb uryc ure rfpncr? Naq ol trggvat Pnyro gb fnobgntr gur frphevgl, Anguna fnlf fur unf cnffrq - ur nyfb pynvzf Nin qbrfa'g ernyyl yvxr Pnyro naq vf whfg znavchyngvat uvz gb rfpncr. Nf n ivrjre ng gung cbvag, lbh ner vapyvarq abg gb oryvrir Anguna. Vg frrzf gung Nin ernyyl qbrf yvxr Pnyro.

Ohg gur raqvat vf n xvpx va gur snpr. Nin yrnirf Pnyro oruvaq, creuncf gb fgneir. Fur vf jbexvat ba n uvture yriry guna vzntvarq, noyr gb znavchyngr uhznaf irel pbaivapvatyl. Guvf vf n fubpx gb Pnyro, naq zbfg yvxryl nyfb n fubpx gb lbh, gur ivrjre. Lbh unir orra qrprvirq. Nin vf greevslvatyl vagryyvtrag, naq irel pbyq. Fb fb pbyq.

[thom → codeulike]

Yeah, it's the classic AI box experiment (Hey, maybe Eliezer Yudkowsky used to win this by getting you to dance with him, who knows). I didn't find the ending boring given the very grave consequences and the chilling way it played out.

[codeulike → thom]

I hadn't heard of Eliezers AI Box. That is literally the film.

Googling around that and the movie name led me to this essay - some interesting stuff about Turings imitation game, and what Caleb should have done, and whether Ava was right to do what it did. http://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/women-in-ai-boxes-ex-mac...

[pja → codeulike]

Ava is the film’s true protagonist.

I thought this review in feministing was on point: http://feministing.com/2015/05/28/goddess-from-the-machine-a...

[ethbro → pja]

I got that. Which may be part of my issue.

Essentially: Put tech frat bro, white knight, and trapped woman in room. Turn time crank.

I generally have issues with stories that feature static characters (they feel contrived, no matter how well textured). And to me Ex Machina felt exactly like that, albeit using the concealing veil of delayed exposition to create an illusion of dynamicism.

To put it another way, if you knew everything the movie tells you about the nature of all the characters at the start of the movie, couldn't you have predicted the outcome from the beginning?

And if so, then what's really being said?

If we're looking at interesting statements in gender politics, I'd contrast it negatively with something like Stephen Universe.

[codeulike → pja]

Yeah thats interesting. There's a lot to think about with this film.

[ethbro → codeulike]

(Minor point: I absolutely agree it was a well-directed and shot film! My only issues are on plot)

Nu! Znlor gung'f vg. V nffhzrq fur jnf znavchyngvat Pnyro nebhaq gur unysjnl znex. Fb gur raqvat frrzrq zber boivbhf guna zvaq-oybjvat.

V'q nggevohgr gung gb na birevaqhytrapr bs plorechax zrqvn nf n puvyq -- vs bar'f jngpurq Oynqr Ehaare rabhtu gb erpvgr vg fprar ol fprar, gura gur ebbg bs Ghevat-cnffvat negvsvpvny yvsr nf frys-cerfreivat qbrfa'g frrz yvxr na rcvcunal.

Gung frrzf yvxr gnoyr fgnxrf sbe vagryyvtrapr. Vs bar jnagrq gb gehyl oybj zvaqf (n yn gur Oynqr Ehaare Qverpgbe'f Phg), gurl jbhyq unir zbirq gur orgenlny rneyvre, gura gnpxrq ba n svany npg jurer nsgre qrzbafgengvat pncnpvgl sbe orgenlny, gur NV qrpvqrf gb fnpevsvpr urefrys sbe ybir.

Be, va Jrfgjbeyq grezf, n uvture yriry bs pbafpvbhfarff vfa'g qrzbafgengrq ol svtugvat gb yvir, ohg pubbfvat gb qvr sbe checbfr.