Awaiting Interpretation (A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2 DVDs))

Member Name: plipplop

Product:	A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2 DVDs)
Date:	30/07/07 (116 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Imaginative, innovative and thought-provoking

Disadvantages: Lengthy

It is some point in the not too distant future. Earth has suffered environmental catastrophe as a result of the polar ice caps melting, and consequentially a large number of the planet’s shoreline cities have been flooded. Millions of their inhabitants have been made homeless, and the planet is under greater pressure from over population than ever before. In order to prevent the situation escalating, the governments of the civilised world have put in place regulations that prevent couples from having any more children unless they are vetted and licensed to do so. As countless couples across the globe struggle to cope without children of their own, attention has turned instead to technology to fill the gap and robot technology has become widespread.

But whilst robots have been developed to far greater specification than ever before, the greatest challenge faced by the planet’s scientists lies in the creation of a robot child that is capable of love. That is, not just the understanding and programming of what love is, but the capability to demonstrate the sincerity and loyalty of a child’s love. A leading scientist sets about the development of such a robot and twenty years later his work is complete; all that he requires is a test “family” that can trial his new product. After rigorous selection work, a couple is chosen whose own son has been comatose for over five years following a terrible accident.

Although the husband is an employee of the scientist, his wife is not so quick to accept the idea that a robot may replace their son and there is a short period of adjustment before she is able to accept the robot in her home. At first, the experiment is very successful, with the robot (David) becoming fully integrated as part of the household. But things do not stay this way for long. The couple’s comatose son unexpectedly awakens from his deep sleep, and suddenly the couple have two children – one real and one artificial. There are inevitable confrontations and ultimately the couple are forced to choose between the two children. Their choice is made, and a chain of events is set in motion that leads David into danger, excitement and tragedy in a world where nothing cannot be recreated in the image of Man.

A.I. is a truly incredible film. That is not to say that you will particularly enjoy it; that will differ from viewer to viewer. All I can say is that everyone should watch this and make up their own mind as to whether this is a masterpiece or a mistake. The film blends countless different styles and inspirations, with similarities to movies as wildly different as Blade Runner, The Wizard of Oz, and Mad Max. In many ways, the film is almost a collage of sections from other successful movies, but the culmination of the pieces is far different from anything you will have ever seen before.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film was originally the brainchild and project of Stanley Kubrick, but when he died he passed the reins to his close friend Spielberg. Spielberg has created a film that is fundamentally segmented into distinct sections of storytelling. The first part of the film dwells on the conception of the idea of a robotic child and his inception into a human family. The second part of the film focuses on the world outside the family unit, a world full of danger and cruelty that is in complete contrast to the homely environment of the first part. The final part of the film seems to move onto a higher plane, with an almost spiritual ambience and an ethereal sequence of events. Sadly, these parts suffer from a lack of fluidity – A.I. is rather like watching three different films edited into one, and in many ways the finished product is clumsy.

The special effects are very impressive; indeed, it was anticipation of future developments in such technology that led to Kubrick’s delay in making the film. The film is a visual treat, with virtually flawless images of humanoid robots and other bizarre man-made mechanical creatures. David’s companion throughout the film is a super technology toy named Teddy, who is extremely endearing and lends the film an almost Disney like quality. Teddy moves around in a mechanical fashion, yet is as real a person as any other in the film. There are disappointingly few sequences showing the landscape of the future, but scenes set in the submerged city of Manhattan are breathtaking, complete with submerged Twin Towers. How could Spielberg know that this would be one cityscape that would never quite look like that again?

A.I. is a film of so many distinct ideas and parts that it arouses nearly every feeling or emotion that a film possibly can. There are moments of great sadness throughout the film, but most notably towards the climax of the film and in the interaction between David and his human “mother”. There are also some very sinister sequences in the film – I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from A.I. but I noticed a growing sense of unease throughout the first 45 minutes when I kept getting the distinct impression that things were going to take a darker turn, rather more like a Stephen King film than a Steven Spielberg film. There are also some exciting sequences in the film. This isn’t an action movie by any means, but that doesn’t mean to say that there aren’t some well-filmed action scenes nonetheless.

So what is A.I. all about? Well, despite having seen the film, I’m not sure that’s a question that I feel qualified to answer. This is science fiction, through and through. The film takes an idea born of science and evolves a fictional tale around the “What If…?” questions that such an idea generates. Yet, despite the Sci-Fi influences of the film, I’m not sure what point the film’s creators had in mind. For sure, this is another observation on the dangers on playing with nature, and is another portrayal of Man’s ability to disregard common sense and manipulate natural forces for his own means. But something inside me says that the makers wanted something more from this. The “Flesh Fair” appears to be a social observation on man’s obsession with recreation and inherent cruelty, but as we see more of the fair there is more of a suggestion that the fair represents man’s natural instinct for survival. Then again, the over-riding principle behind the film seems to be a suggestion of the value of the human soul, and how creatures or objects without a soul will strive forever to become human and possess the traits of mankind. This is a complicated film, and rather like a wedding party buffet, you will be invited to take from it what you will.

The film is dominated by another very strong performance from (Haley Joel Osment), who we last saw in The Sixth Sense. This child actor once again demonstrates maturity beyond his years, and is as endearing as he is sinister in his role as the robotic child David. Jude Law is excellent as another robot named Gigolo Joe, who demonstrates a keen observation on the part of the makers that any society that can develop artificiality will surely employ this for sexual gratification. Joe becomes David’s sidekick, but his character exits almost as clumsily as it enters and I can’t help but think this was a wasted opportunity. William Hurt plays the professor who creates David, but was not an inspiring character for me and failed to make me believe in him. Look out also for voiceover cameo appearances from Robin Williams, Meryl Streep, Chris Rock and Ben Kingsley.

The DVD presentation is across two discs, with the extra features comprising mainly of mini-documentaries taking you behind the scenes of the movie. The extras are as follows:

- Acting A.I. – two documentaries, one about David and one about Gigolo Joe
- Designing A.I. – an insight into how the film was developed from sketches and a look into the wardrobe designing team
- Lighting A.I. – a short documentary about the very different lighting techniques used throughout the film
- Special Effects – an interesting documentary about how three of the most visually exciting scenes were filmed
- Robots of A.I. – how puppets, special effects and animatronics were used to create the many robots
- Special Visual Effects & Animation – five more documentaries, each focusing on a different aspect of the effects work
- Sound And Music of A.I. – two mini documentaries, one about the sound effects and one about the original score by John Williams
- Steven Spielberg’s Responsibility to A.I. – the filmmaker talks about the serious implications of A.I.
- A.I. Archives; Cast information; Film maker information

The extras are perhaps rather one-sided, comprising almost entirely of documentaries and behind-the-scenes footage. I found this interesting, and a very relevant partner for the film, but some people may prefer more interactive extras. The good thing about the documentaries is that none of them last for more than ten minutes, so they tend to be short, snappy and informative. Both the cast and the crew make some interesting observations about the film, and I think the whole package works very well.

I would most certainly have to recommend this film to anyone who is considering whether to see it or not. A.I. is not a children’s film. Whilst there is no graphic violence or sex, the content of the film is, at times, disturbing and would probably not appeal anyway; at nearly two and a half hours, younger viewers might find the running time excessive. I cannot guarantee that you will enjoy this, but if the measure of a good film is its ability to make you think then A.I. is certainly a winner. Without a doubt, the film is a state of the art production, and I don’t think you could fail to be impressed by the imagination and innovation that went into its creation.

The 2-disc region 2 DVD can be picked up for around £6 on various websites, including www.play.com.

Highly recommended

Summary: Spielberg brings Kubrick's brainchild to artificial life