The Huckleberries Vol. 15 - The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist & Forbidden Fruits

     Obviously we want to have an area for reviewing new films here at The Film Encomium, but we want to send a message with our methodology. That message is a simple one: Don’t forget about the fun. 

Yes, film can be transformative, prophetic, and groundbreaking. It can also be none of those things and still be a damn good time, and we want to validate both of those experiences. If you want to learn about the world that no one is showing you, we recommend the works of Alex Gibney; but if you want to become well-rounded, you should study the way that Mike Nichols has adapted works to the screen. 

It is from the balance of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn that we draw inspiration for the title of this section. Tom is clever; Tom is great. If there were one of those boys we were going to try to get into Harvard, it would be young Mr. Sawyer…but he will always need his Huckleberry. 

We all need our Huckleberries. Art needs its Huckleberries. Sometimes beauty is in the little things and reasoned reflection. Other times beauty is loud, bright, and bold. In the interest of providing our readers with a comprehensive experience, we are not willing to skip The Huckleberries. 

So, with that in mind, here are two enthralling flicks that dropped in theaters recently. The first will outline the potential terror and glory of all future existence on this planet. The second will outline the potential terror and glory of working at the mall. Enjoy!

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist -

It has been several years since a documentary film has come out that felt this timely. The topic of Artificial Intelligence is scary and overwhelming, but that is all the more reason to not look away from it, and this production is simply an outstanding broad-stroke analysis of the entire conversation. Even when it seems as if they have bitten off more than they could chew, it’s difficult to not be impressed by the scope of discourse attempted here.

One notable aspect of this movie is the personal narrative which Daniel Roher superimposes on top of the core presentation. It is one of the creative liberties taken in the process of presenting his argument that may end up turning off some potential viewers. However, it is also this sort of outside the box approach which helps The AI Doc rise above the level of a traditional documentary. 

As the filmmaker expounds upon his own motivations for going on this journey, he reveals that one of the focal drives was finding out he and his partner Caroline Lindy—who is herself an accomplished filmmaker—were expecting a baby. Including this as not only a major catalyst but also essentially a subplot may have detracted from the objectivity of the documentary if it were not for one fact: He used this information as an incredibly effective tool for illustrating how disparate the world is about to be from any other version of this world we have ever known. 

Assisting Roher in the massive undertaking of conveying a greater understanding of this imposing material was not only co-director Charlie Tyrell, but also two different production teams. Shane Boris and Diane Becker—who previously worked with Roher on one of his superb feature films Navalny—but also the acclaimed filmmaking duo the Daniels (of Everything Everywhere All at Once fame). It’s the sort of crew one puts together when the subject at hand is the universe-redefining type, which is only further illustrated by the fact that 3/5ths of the five major A.I. CEOs took time out of their schedules to involve themselves in the interviews—and if you already know who those five CEOs are, you can probably guess which two abstained. 

What this film endeavors to accomplish is so close to impossible that it is hard to say if it can even be done, but that only makes more formidable how close they come. They set out to give a front-to-back rundown of the entire list of pros and cons for the future of Artificial Intelligence on this planet and beyond. We, as an audience, are shown the paths to both disaster and utopia, and are left reasonably convinced that one of those options is a near certainty. 

There may be moments when you wish they lingered on a specific portion of their thesis for a bit longer, but as the critics of this film can’t seem to agree on which portion they breezed past, it’s hard to lend too much weight to that facet as a damning shortcoming. What carries plenty of gravitas is the manner in which this film engages both the experts and the amateurs; it speaks slowly without dumbing itself down. It is terrifying, but lets enough sunshine through the clouds that you can’t help but feel some warmth. 

This is not a topic that is likely to elicit only one emotion in anyone who researches it, and for that reason it is hard to promise that watching it will be an enjoyable experience. It is hectic and horrifying, but that is simply the nature of this beast. What this film is more than anything is human, and the heart that comes with that is the reason that this may well be one of the most important films of the decade. 

Forbidden Fruits -

In Forbidden Fruits we once again have a premium example of why adapted works should always do what they can to include the creators of the original content they were based upon. Meredith Alloway directed this film, but she brought in Lilly Houghton—the mind behind Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die.; the stage play this movie was adapted from—in to help write the screenplay. This decision was the first of many that helped this story stay in the realm of engaging chaos rather than devolving into messiness. 

One of the most common ways this film has been described is as “Mean Girls meets The Craft” and that is not a claim that is without merit. However, when it comes to cunning linguistics that lead to a compendium of one-liners and innuendos, it is substantially closer to the Mean Girls tier. The writing is certainly the lead foot of this movie’s dance, and it helps to set the tone for the cast and crew to flourish. 

Speaking of the cast, it is a rather barebones ensemble, so every single character with a speaking line really needs to hold their own. The four Fruits—Apple, Pumpkin, Cherry, and Fig—are played by Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp, respectively. All four of those actresses absolutely deserve to be considered bona fide costars of this production, and each of them absolutely shines in their corresponding role. Supporting them, Emma Chamberlain pops in to steal several scenes and Gabrielle Union does the same without even popping in. 

This is a flick that will be an instant cult classic amongst anyone who has ever worked in retail, at the very least. It is a biting, witty satire whose considerable charms may go over the head of some moviegoers. However, for those of you who enjoy an in-your-face social commentary with dramatic performances of teenage girl revenge coupled with cleverly understated anecdotes? This one will prove to be an absolute delight.  

~The Film Encomium~