Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.
Trailer in Discussion
Directed By: Alex Garland
Written By: Alex Garland
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac
- Preamble -
In all honesty, this is one of the less eventful weeks for new trailers. When searching for a topic this week, it proved to be slim pickings. At best, there were a few that I would likely just give a bad review because I wasn't interested in the story to begin with. However, I landed on one that could be good. I am not entirely sure what it's about, but considering the names behind it, I have decided to give it a shot. True, Ex-Machina may be about robots, and I don't care at all about them, but there's so much else that's intriguing already that would make me consider this a potentially good movie.
For starters, Oscar Isaac is an underrated actor who was really good in Drive and Inside Llewyn Davis. He has made a humble career that is likely going to be benefited from the Star Wars film next year. If nothing else, I hope it gives people the enthusiasm to want to check out his older films, if just to see where he came from. That is really the only enthusiasm I have for a Star Wars movie at this point. Also, Domhnall Gleeson was rather good in Frank this year, so we already have a solid lead cast right there. The next issue is getting around the sci-fi elements. I am notoriously disinterested in the genre and a film that is 2/3 of the famous deus ex machina slogan doesn't strike confidence in me. How convenient is this going to be.
However, it is from Alex Garland. You may be asking yourself: who is Alex Garland? For many, he is the writer of 28 Days Later..., which is either one of the best zombie or outbreak films of the 00's. I personally agree, as I am a huge fan of Danny Boyle and the film is very gorgeous. It isn't necessarily my favorite of Boyle's nor is it one that I return to at a frequency. However, it is still enjoyable and a rather fun film. I figured that on those grounds alone, it would be worth giving a shot. I am aware that this isn't always the strongest vote of confidence, considering the strange careers of writers-turned-directors, but it's worth giving a shot, if just because there's nothing else going on this past week.
- Dissection -
Well, that backfired immensely. It turns out that it's all about a robot who is in love with Domhnall Gleeson. For the most part, the trailer exists in an atmospheric creepiness that has Oscar Isaac giving exposition. There isn't much that immediately grabs me beyond robots intermingling with humans. Speaking as this is a general topic that doesn't interest me, I am already far behind on finding reasons to care about this. It looks fine, but it doesn't change my mind on why I should go out of my way to see it. I am well aware that this dissection is short, but consider that it is straightforward footage of Gleeson and a robot forming a very strange relationship. There isn't much else to it that really is there to grab me. I don't think that robots can be empathetic, thus I am already against the general concept. I'm sorry.
- One Sentence Sell -
Dohmnall Gleeson gets it on with Oscar Isaac's robot in the future.
- Trash or Trove -
TRASH
I know that this entry seems a lot shorter than the other ones, but there isn't anything that really grabs me. I am a fan of 28 Days Later as discussed, but even that is not enough to get me on board with checking out this film. Maybe I will catch it on cable one day, but the film feels more like an atmospheric exercise than an actual story. Also, nobody seems to be doing anything but flirting with a robot. How is that interesting?
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