arthur_tafero

This chilling film has three cold-blooded antagonists and one protagonist. You will recognize the protagonist immediately, but one or two other antagonists might escape your observation.

The protagonist is obviously the young programmer, Caleb Smith, played by Domhnall Gleeson, who does a very good job as the almost saintly entity in the film. His primary antagonist is Nathan Bateman, played by Oscar Issac, a CEO with a heart of ice.

But what of the two AI women in the compound? Are they protagonists or antagonists? You will have to view the film to find out. Alicia Vikander does a devilish job as the sympathetic character of Ava, an AI which is gaining in consciousness.

Also featured is Sonoya Mazuno, who I thought was the sexier AI in the film. She is the consort of the CEO, Nathan. All four of these characters interact through the deft direction of Alex Garland, who is aided by hypnotic cinematography that will have you enthralled for over an hour.

I will not go any further into the plot, but suffice it to say that you might be surprised by the evolution and ending of the film. Well worth viewing.

What a shame that Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel was not picked up as a series. I have one idea why; it seemed to be way too expensive. Everything in the film was first-rate; the action sequences, the acting, and especially the writing. It was more of a film to be in general release rather than a pilot for a TV show that would probably have been lost in TV land.

Allen has a knack of taking ordinary plots and turning them into interesting scenarios. This film was a perfect example of that. Let us be very clear, however. This is not a sci-fi masterpiece; it was reminiscent of Quantum Leap, but without that show's great sense of humor. In fact, this film was completely devoid of any humor, which I believe was a big mistake in the writing. You absolutely have to have some comic relief in these types of films.

There is nothing like a film that had potential going completely out of control. The Signal is only one of a very few films that make a mess of their screenplay, yet still entertain the viewer from beginning to end.

The story makes no sense whatever, but it is sure interesting to watch. The acting is fine, and I really enjoyed watching John Goodman as a sleaze. Larry Fishborne is also very good and understated as a ????? Is he a top scientist official? CIA? Who knows what he is? We eventually find out at the end of the movie, but I would never spoil that for you.

The film starts out with some fun kids, and then goes off the deep end with a Blair Witch kind of sequence. Things only get weirder after that. If you ever figure out the film, be sure to review it for me.