Subject: Review: A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

From: Shannon Patrick Sullivan <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 18:59:56 -0000

A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001) / *** 1/2

Directed by Steven Spielberg. Screenplay by Spielberg, from a story by Ian
Watson, based on the short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long" by Brian
Aldiss. Starring Haley Joel Osment, Frances O'Connor, Jude Law. Running
time: 146 minutes. Rated PG by the MFCB. Reviewed on August 22nd, 2001.

By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN

Synopsis: David (Osment), a child-like robot programmed to express love, 
is given to a family whose son was placed in suspended animation because 
he suffers from an incurable disease. But when the son unexpectedly 
returns, David is no longer needed. His "mother" (O'Connor) abandons him 
rather than let him be destroyed. Finding friendship with another robot, 
Gigolo Joe (Law), David sets off on a quest to find the Blue Fairy, who he 
believes will help him regain his mother's love.

Review: How do we define a person? Where does "artificial" end and 
"intelligence" begin? Is there a difference between someone who loves us, 
and something programmed to do so? These are the questions raised by 
"A.I.", a film directed by Spielberg but so reminiscent of its originator, 
Kubrick, that his ghost haunts almost every frame. "A.I." wraps these 
conundrums in a quest, but at the end of the quest lie more questions. The 
answers are left to the viewers, who are pulled en route in every 
direction. Is David's longing for his mother proof of his humanity? 
Perhaps, but still, David is undeniably not human, as we are periodically 
reminded. Whatever one concludes, "A.I." is certainly one of the most 
thought-provoking films in recent memory. It is abetted by spectacular 
performances, with Osment proving he is perhaps the best child actor 
working today. David is endearing, but a persistent awkward edge reminds 
us of his artificiality. And Spielberg's visuals are stunning, perfectly 
complementing "A.I."'s central contradiction. His humans live in a stark 
world of clinical coldness; the robots inhabit a chaotic, colourful 
universe. The humans are passive and remote; the robots cling desperately 
to life. And although "A.I." does suffer from an extended coda that never 
quite works, it remains a fine tribute to the genius that was Kubrick.

Copyright © 2001 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
Archived at The Popcorn Gallery,
  http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html

  |     Shannon Patrick Sullivan    |         [email-masked]          |       
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/  Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel)   go.to/drwho-history  \
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X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4