Saturday, August 10, 2024

ELECTRIC CHILD (2024) Locarno 2024


I need to be up front regarding my viewing of ELECTRIC CHILD.  My viewing of the film, which has to do with AI, came after seeing 8 to 10 films dealing with AI and similar themes since June. Normally I can divorce myself from the subject matter and take each film on its own, but I know that I was thinking about how the film echoed other recent films.

The plot of the film has a couple welcoming their first child into the world.  As they celebrate the joyous occasion, they are informed that because of a genetic defect their baby will probably not survive very long.  Uncertain as to what to so the husband begins to wonder if the AI program that his is working on may provide a way of keeping the child alive in some form.

Moody film seeks to explore the various ins and outs of what dealing with an AI means. Is AI a living thing?  

Because of the recent viewing of AI related material, I find it hard to actually discuss how the film handles the subject matter. Some bits are better than similar bits in other films, some bits are not as good. Because it would end up in a word soup, I’m going to stay away from discussing that aspect.

I will however speak about it as a drama.  As a drama the film is okay. For me the way the film uses dialog, the dialog seems to be used to give specific information and not so much to give emotional information or build character, which to my eyes seemed to be coming visually from the characters behaviors and expressions.  While we do get to know the characters to some degree, a great deal is left unsaid. In a weird way I kept wanting to get a sense of life outside of what we are seeing. Everyone seems to be existing in a limited and very controlled world. As a result, I felt like I was watching people in a glass box, not watching people before me.

It's not bad but it wasn’t compelling.

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