O Protótipo

This science fiction film is set in the year 2038; protagonist George Almore is working alone on a humanoid artificial intelligence at a remote facility in Japan. He has three prototypes each more advanced than the previous; J1 has a childlike intelligence and an armless boxy appearance; J2 is more capable, has arms but is still fairly boxlike... J3 however has a far more human appearance; it is just waiting for its legs to be attached. J3 also bears a noticeable resemblance to Jules, George's late wife. Before the fatal accident George had Jules's conscience copied to a commercial computer system; this enables him to continue conversing with her even though he knows it won't work forever; the signal gets gradually weaker. As George works to complete J3 he encounters some problems; jot least the fact that J2 appears to be jealous.

When I started watching this I had no idea what to expect and early only I suspected it may develop in similar ways to 'Ex Machina', which I really enjoyed... it didn't but I still enjoyed it more so for being original. The story develops in interesting ways and ultimately delivers an ending that was a complete surprise. I liked how the film is ostensibly about robots but in reality is more about the human condition and coping with the death of a loved one. The cast is solid; most obviously Theo James as George and Stacy Martin as J3/Jules... in most scenes these are the only two characters. The effects used are impressive without being distracting. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of science fiction looking for something that makes you think.