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    		•

    FILMS

    A.I.
    Artificial Intelligence (2001)
  • Starring Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Sam Robards, Jake Thomas, William Hurt

  • Directed by Steven Spielberg

    • Reaction to this movie was immediate, prolific, and polarized. Scholars and laymen alike have discussed and reviewed on the internet and in print every aspect of A.I.. The ending of the film; the length, the acting abilities of the cast; the adaptation from Brian Aldiss' short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long"; the cohesion of the directing styles of Spielberg and Kubrick (though some may consider it a clash, as Spielberg tends to bring out the humanity of a character whereas Kubrick tends to destroy the individuality of his primary characters, dehumanizing them).

    So what can I say, really, that hasn't already been said?

    Probably not much. Well, at least not anything new. But I do have an opinion just like everyone else. So, here we go!

    A.I. is the story of David, a mecha who is designed to love. Unreservedly and without question. Forever. He's then given to a couple who's own son, Martin, has been placed in cryogenics until science finds a way to cure his, presumably fatal, ailment. Martin is miraculously cured and returns home, causing tension in the household as the two "brothers" vie for the affection of their mother. After a series of accidents (and misplaced trust), it's deemed that David may pose a danger to the family. Monica, his "mother," is supposed to return him to his manufacturer for destruction. But she can't do it.

    Monica leaves David alone in the woods to fend for himself. Convinced that his mother would love him if he were a real boy, David sets out in search of the Blue Fairy, the woman in the Pinocchio who turns Pinocchio from a wooden doll into a real boy. Along the way he meets Gigolo Joe who is on the run from, as he says, "Big trouble." Together, the two quest for the Blue Fairy in a world that created artificial intelligence and given it life, and then seems to spurn it for committing the crime of existing. (Which, now that I think about it, is not unlike the dilemma Victor Frankenstein faces.)

    (Fair spoiler warning: Stop reading if you don't want to know anything more about the film.)

    A.I. is good Science Fiction. It's good story-telling. It's good acting. Good directing, though it's been argued that there are various points near the ending of the film where it should've ended, but kept going. I don't happen to agree with that—but I know people have said this.

    When it comes to the topic of "what is appropriate movie length" I direct you to Abraham Lincoln. It's said that, once upon a time, two lawyers were arguing over how long a man's legs should be. One man was short and husky, the other tall and gangly. The two lawyers approached Lincoln and asked him what he thought. After a brief period of consideration (and much scratching of the beard, I assume), Lincoln said, "A man's legs should be exactly long enough to reach the ground."

    Smart dude, that Lincoln.

    That's how I feel about film length. A movie should be just long enough to get to the end of the story. And, as long as the story is good, as is the case with A.I., it doesn't matter if it's 30 minutes longer than the average movie. The story ends with David being reunited with his mother, 2,000 years in the future. That's the end of the story, so it's good that Spielberg made that the end of the film.

    There's a nice piece of foreshadowing when David is first introduced. The first shot we see of him is fuzzy; he's silhouetted and elongated so you can't even see that it's a boy. (Or rather, a facsimile of a boy.) You see this image again at the very end—this is exactly what the future mecha look like. More foreshadowing can be found in Gigolo Joe's telling David that one day the humans will all be gone and only mecha will survive, and that's why humans hate them.

    I like that the future mecha are in complete awe of David. They almost revere him and will do anything for his happiness. He's their only link to their creators. How would we react if we found Adam and Eve frozen in a block of ice? We'd want to treat them like royalty (after we thawed them out, of course), like gods themselves, because they actually hung out and chilled with God in Eden. They knew him personally. (Then again, we'd probably just kill one another over who gets to keep them. Humanity can be disappointing that way, sometimes.)

    There's so much that's good about this film. Here's a couple of highlights:

  • Jude Law as Gigolo Joe. He's funny and serious and he can dance. Perhaps most touching, however, is in his final scene when he says, "I am. I was." With this, he's proclaiming his individuality and acknowledging his self. And it's tragic because we know he's going to be destroyed. (This maybe a reference to Asimov's I, Robot.) It's the final step in his evolution from man-serving machine, to self-realized, enlightened metal man.

  • Teddy. After leaving the theater, my wife wanted a supertoy. She wanted to have a Teddy. He's cute and tough and loyal to David. Teddy is simple but knowledgeable about the important things. About good and bad, right and wrong. When his love is put to the test, having to choose between the two boys, he runs to mommy.

  • Haley Joel Osment as David. Damn if this kid can act. He nails his part in every way possible. Posture, movement, no blinking. Frightened and determined, Osment is as good as some of the best actors in Hollywood. Good thing Osment isn't up for the same roles as De Niro, as the boy would give Raging Bull a run for his money.

  • Gigolo Jane. She's not so much a highlight, as a tease. I was really hoping we'd see more of her. Because she's hot and wears skin-tight clothes.

  • The Flesh Fair. Next to the scene where David is abandoned in the woods, this scene is the most disturbing. The ignorant destruction bothered me much more that I thought possible. Very disarming.

    • (Two side notes. I didn't know this but Sam Robards, who plays Henry, is the son of Jason Robards and Lauren Bacall. Huh. Who knew? Also, Frances O'Connor, who plays Monica in A.I., is the same actress who plays the object of Brendan Fraser's affection in Bedazzled. I never would've made that connection. I guess that's the sign of good acting.)

    I bought this movie on DVD the week it came out. I loved it when I saw it in the theater and just had to own it. There may be a few flaws here or there, but overall, I thought this movie rocked. It delivered on almost every expectation I had. Not too many movies can claim that.

    I can't wait for the day when supertoys are the hot new Christmas item. Cabbage Patch dolls can go jump in a lake.

    Teddy is the future.