For his first feature film, Luke Scott was given a script of the famous Black List of Hollywood which is expected to include the best of the scripts waiting for production. The story of Morgane, a human being created artificially and lives in a laboratory. Under his airs of a young teenager, innocent, it reveals the one hand dangerous, being the cause of the violent assault of one of their employees. Lee Weathers, an expert in insurance, was sent by the company to the head of the project to assess the risks.
Of artificial intelligence, something of the myth of Frankenstein, science fiction, horror, and even questions the humanist. There was promise with MORGANE, produced by the company of the father of Luke, Ridley Scott. Unfortunately, it is clear that the film missed. On the one hand, in the discussed themes that never go far enough – and that can be put on the account of the timeline of Seth W. Owen -, of the other part in the work of Luke Scott , who does not seem to decided on the genre of his film and mix awkwardly styles.
Contrary to what the film’s promotion could sell MORGANE, it is far from a horror movie to the stuffy atmosphere. There is no mystery around the girl. From the first scene, we are witnessing via a surveillance camera at the assault of Kathy by Morgane. In spite of the violence of this act, the victim (who appears blind in one eye) has no grudge. Considering even responsible for this reaction. She, and the rest of the scientists who have created Morgane and saw it grow quickly (she was only five years old but is already a teenager), have developed a strong relationship with it. Some, seeing as his father, his mother or his best friend, it is difficult for them to treat it not as a human being. Unlike Lee Weahers, that in refusing him the quality of the pronoun – “It’s a ” it “, not a ” she “ ” she says without ceasing -, depersonalizes. This opposition between the feelings for Morgane and the coldness of Lee called out to a first time. Even leading them to a questioning of what is ultimately a human being ; Morgane showing emotions and a conscience, isn’t it, even in its most acts réprimandable, more human than others ? Only these topics are only distantly evoked while the film drags on without trying really to bring anything.
“In the second part Luke Scott loose all that could have been the closer of the excellent Ex Machina to switch in the action movie hardly inspired”
The major problem then comes from an inability for the viewer to take a real advantage between the two main characters (Lee and Morgana). For Morgana, there was a way to go toward empathy. It is, after all, a young girl locked up, who only wants to discover the outside world. However, she is facing her opponents overall good. Scientists in any case amoral, who have developed strong feelings for her and who will even seek to help him. Facilities story will lead, without much logic, Morgana to turn against them with violence. At this moment, his character sinks into the monstrosity. To lose his humanity and reflecting an image repulsive, it could not decently over the track in his choice. Then remains the character of Lee. But it will never have the sympathy of the spectator. Demonstrating a total lack of emotion (even the fear would have been welcome), as focused on his mission, and a coldness far. It then becomes difficult to know who to support in this story. In the absence of a protagonist who hang on to enough – with the exception of science but they remain too high, we may not accede to MORGANE.
As if this loss of bearings was not enough, Luke Scott there will finally be many blunders. In fact, if there is no false note in the first part of the film, having even a few good ideas (this game of reflection with the glass that separates Morgane Lee), Luke Scott loose in the second part all that could have been the closer of the excellent Ex Machina – the range is dramatic, the setting try, the report, human/machine, the use of the camera…- switch in the action movie little inspired. Fighting in body-to-body between Kate Mara and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Split) to a lawsuit in cars poorly controlled, the film loses all credibility. Because even if the two actresses give their person, by the tone of the film hitherto, there is adherence difficult to see them send tatanes and thrown against furniture, from Jason Bourne to a girl. And this is not a revelation in the last moments of the film that will save it. Although the evidence to justify the events and the attitude of the characters, revealing them after the fact and so steep, you cannot see anything other than a lack of inspiration to conclude a story never properly exploited.
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