TRIBECA: Welcome To 'The Machine' − Photos From Sci-Fi Thriller Depict Sexy Svedka-Style Cyborg

The Machine Tribeca Film Festival

One of the more intriguing science-fiction films screening at the Tribeca Film Festival is The MachineDirected by Caradog James, whose last film was the 2006 racism dramedy Little White Lies, The Machine is ostensibly about a scientist obsessed with building a cybernetic super soldier. That's a familiar storyline, but based on the clues found in the synopsis and a batch of production stills that have been released, film looks like it may have as much to do with gender politics as it does with super soldiers.

Here's part of the synopsis from the Tribeca Film Festival Handbook:

Already deep into a second Cold War, Britain’s Ministry of Defence seeks a game-changing weapon and enlists brilliant programmer Vincent McCarthy to research and develop a cybernetic super soldier in a secret governmental lab. When a programming bug causes his prototype to run amok, McCarthy takes his obsessive efforts underground, far away from inquisitive eyes. Soon he has perfected the ideal marriage of human and machine in his ultimate creation, a beautiful and dangerous being that may be the key to ending the endless war, but a sentience stirring inside the machine puts everyone’s plans in jeopardy.

Now, pay special attention to the first two photos:

THE_MACHINE_1 The Machine Tribeca Film Festival

The Machine Tribeca Film Festival

The Machine Tribeca Film Festival

There are more than two cyborgs in the movie apparently, and at least two are women.  The actress in the second photo, with the Flock of Seagulls haircut and nasty incision on her head  is Pooneh Hajimohammadi, but the second half of the synopsis reveals that another actress will be playing one of the cyborgs and that, gulp, "technoromance" takes place. It's like the Svedka vodka ad came to life.

With rare vision, jaw-dropping special effects and Caity Lotz’s (The Pact) versatile and nuanced interpretation of a machine that may be the most human character of all, visionary director Caradog James fully realizes his unique future dystopia. The Machine is an entertaining, thought-provoking techno romance and the latest gripping sci-fi adventure to come out of the U.K.

Here's Lotz in the exclusive Yahoo! trailer:

Gentlemen Prefer Blond Cyborgs

Well, helloooo, ladies! The film premieres at the film festival on Saturday.

Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter.

Follow Movieline on Twitter. 



Comments

  • Rex Cromwell says:

    Why didn't the article just lead with HEY! IT'S BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION! The Reader, could then give the article, much less the movie, a miss, and click away, so to read about the various, current dystopias, worldwide.
    ...and, I'd just like to add, in a personal vein, that this thing will have everything but a Guy Fawkes mask in it, but the same, mistaken message.
    We miss you, Mrs. T. We miss you.

  • Bratislava Corndog says:

    Attaca, attaca,attaca!

  • Ric says:

    Because British film makers aren't as blessed with multi-million dollar budgets, outsourced post-production and cutting edge CGI as we Americans are the cinematography and production may suffer a bit...so what do they do? They make up for it with interesting plots and closer to reality based directing. I would bet that this film is still way better than TRANSFORMERS! Give them a break. If you guys can do better then go for it.

    • Rex Cromwell says:

      It's been done better, thousands of times; not certain what you're getting at, other than to try and tell us entertainment media is in fact, message. I'd agree, only in that the messages conveyed best by entertainment media, are notoriously lightweight, which is perfect for European anarchism, as sloganism--its meat and milk--is going to be simplistic, no matter what.
      I'll not debate TRANSFORMERS, I agree; one might as well build a film around the old Rock 'em Sock 'em robots...but, if you're going to hold proselytization against it as a worthy foe, I think not. Putting twists on Bladerunner and messages Alan Moore never intended, in a supercollider and calling it competition, well, bosch. Hold a rally.

  • BORED... says:

    Why is this post displayed for weeks? is there any chance that news, I mean "news" are shown instead?

  • Excellent blog right here! Additionally your website rather a lot up very fast!
    What web host are you the usage of? Can I am getting your associate
    hyperlink on your host? I desire my website loaded
    up as quickly as yours lol