Everyone is calling A.I. Artificial Intelligence a meeting of the genius minds of Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick. That is only partially true. Kubrick has long proved that he likes to toy with human emotion and test our resolve, while Spielberg likes to tell a story that even a child could love and understand. He likes to end a film with a tear of joy while Kubrick might be happier if the tear was that of sadness, so long as it provoked you deep inside. Spielberg took an idea Kubrick carried around with him, rumor is that Kubrick wanted Spielberg to direct it, and has given it life.
Where in the world does that leave A.I.? Almost in the distorted land of Disney where you’ll see something close to a high priced Pinocchio remake. David (Haley Joel Osment) is a robot child who wants to be more human and Professor Hobby (William Hurt) of the Cybertronics Corporation is going to make that a reality. As David begins adjusting to his position within a family, he is yanked away only to find himself in Rouge City.
Being that Spielberg is one hell of a magician, you know this film will look great and be a great cause of wonderment. When you combine that with the dark worlds Kubrick seemed pulled to, A.I. is amazing to behold. Rouge City is a feast for the eyes. It is here that David catches up with sly Gigolo Joe (Jude Law) whose reason for being is to pleasure women. This is also where the film gets turned on its head and the line between Kubrick and Spielberg gets clearer.
As A.I. comes to a close, you get the feeling that Spielberg couldn’t stay away from his typical sappy endings. Kubrick surely wouldn’t have allowed this, surely he would have saved us from walking out of the theater with all worldly hope intact. It’s this forced sentiment that ruins the film. There is so much drama, so much to be said, and yet again we get sucked into nothing. Spielberg gave us a sapling when we could have had a giant oak.
+ charlie craine
06.29.01
dvd review:
Watching A.I. there are parts that wow you and make you wonder ‘how in the world did they do that?’ The second disc with the DVD tells you all that and more.
From the amazing Teddy to the plastic looking hair of Jude Law’s Gigolo Joe, there is something of an awe factor. The man power and hours put into the effects, which most often were more than just computer generated, is inspiring. The visualization of Stanley Kubrek came to life through the art and set designs.
The robots are amazing strokes of humans combined with things as simple as air brushing to the use of amputees rig with devices like welding guns.
Some of the most interesting moments come when listening to Steven Spielberg talking about the concept and how the film came about. The behind the scenes discussions and interviews round the documentary quite well, often ending up to be much more interesting than the film itself.
+ charlie craine
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