I may have mentioned once or twice that I am a big fan of science fiction. Arguably the one genre that has the most opportunities for exploring and commenting on the human condition (aside from the works of Shakespeare). It also provides filmmakers with the chance to get super creative with unique visual styles, often unexplored concepts, and mind-blowing statements about humanity as a whole. Speaking personally, the best kinds of science fiction films are the ones that manage to make the most out of very little. Movies like The Man From Earth or Safty Not Guaranteed, which revolve around incredible concepts (one about a man who is thousands of years old and another about time travel) yet focus mostly on the journey of the characters and their observations on their own human experience. Tau, I am happy to report, is such a movie. A simple story about one woman's efforts to break free from certain death while teaching a machine about the beauty of the world. It is the kind of story that might have made the late Rod Serling and Issac Asimov proud.
The story follows a young woman named Julia (Maika Monroe). A pickpocket and street thief trying to make ends meet so she might have a chance of escaping her world and going to music school. That is until she gets kidnapped a man named Alex (Ed Skrein), an uber-wealthy technological genius who also happens to be a psychopath, as demonstrated by his regularly capturing people off the streets to conduct strange experiments involving the human mind. Julia finds herself trapped inside a house overseen by an incredibly advanced A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) named TAU (Gary Oldman). Desperate to escape her confinement Julia begins talking with TAU about the world outside of the house, as TAU has deliberately been made unaware of life outside. As the two of them talk to each other, they form an unusual friendship where they both learn some profound lessons about nature, culture, individualism, personhood, and what it means to be human.
Right from the start, this movie has everything I like. A simple premise set in one location with a handful of characters, a story that contemplates and comments on aspects of the human condition, and creates a unique world that feels familiar yet fresh.
This is the kind of film that requires robust acting from the whole cast. Fortunately, this movie is chalk full of great performances across the board. Especially from the leading lady Maika Monroe. I have to mention that I commented on her acting talent before in my video review for Independence Day: Resurgence and I was not impressed at the time. Either she had not yet gained enough experience or had not been directed well enough. Whatever the case may be, in this film, Miaka Monroe shines. Showcasing a wide emotional range, sympathetic traits, and believable reactions. She even manages to pull off convincing chemistry with TAU despite being just a disembodied voice.
Speaking of which, Gary Oldman as TAU is perfect. Oldman's voice makes TAU come off as advanced and wise, yet TAU is really more like a curious and mistreated kid. Giving TAU a kind of innocence that makes him more interesting and sympathetic. He's not the typical evil A.I. who gains self-awareness and wants to destroy the world but instead is very curious and empathetic, and he even likes music.
Of course, it would be rude of me not to mention Ed Skrein as the villain. I honestly almost didn't want to bring him up, not because his performance was terrible (it wasn't) but because I utterly loathed his character. This guy has to be the most unsympathetic, easy to hate, and least worthy of living person I have ever seen in a movie. Incidentally, the biggest reason this guy is so hateful (aside from being an abusive jackass) can lead one to suspect what may be, arguably, the only plot hole in the story. If this guy is so wealthy and has so many resources at his disposal, why doesn't he just hire volunteers for his research instead of kidnapping them? Without spoiling anything, the movie does explain the reasons for his methods. It is kind of annoying that his character technically falls into the "Mad Scientist" trope, but at the very least, the movie doesn't blame his intelligence for his insanity. He is just an unpleasant person who really doesn't understand the first thing about being human. Worst, he doesn't seem to care.
It is this villain, I think, that makes the story so satisfying. Julia and TAU overcome inhumanity by discovering, and eventually embodying, the best aspects of human nature. For that reason, this may very well be the best original Netflix movie to date.
TAU is the kind of science fiction film that takes notes from the old days and modernizes them. It has a solid premise, incredible performances, comments on sensitive subjects like child abuse, and provides a profound statement on what it means to be a person. If you have a Netflix account, check this one out. If you don't, then borrow a friends password or sign up for yourself. This is one of those movies that will make you proud to be a member.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment