WELCOME TO THE MACHINE (Avi Weider, USA). 86 minutes. Subtitled. Rating: NNN
Avi Zev Weider’s ambitious look at the inexorable creep of technology into every aspect of human life offers some terrific insights into its subject from futurists like Sherry Turkle, Kevin Kelly and Ray Kurzweil, who’s still humping his singularity prophecy.
There are some intriguing arguments about the development of artificial intelligence, including the suggestion that the Unabomber’s infamous manifesto made some oddly valid points about our reliance on thinking machines.
But the overall impact is hobbled by Weider’s insistence on focusing about a third of the movie on his struggle to raise his newborn triplets – conceived by artificial insemination and therefore a handy encapsulation of the movie’s arguments. It’s frustrating to see a compelling thesis repeatedly derailed by the filmmaker’s whining about stomach bugs and lost sleep.
Apr 29, 7:15 pm, Royal Cinema May 1, 1:15 pm, Cumberland 3 May 4, 4 pm, ROM Theatre.
