What A Piece of Work is "A.I."

It came upon me, completely by accident, that this weekend celebrates the 10th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's 2001 science-fiction feature A.I. Artificial Intelligence. As the years have come and gone, many have talked about the film's numerous merits and pitfalls, and I admit to trepidation of my own. To this day, I still can't quite embrace what Spielberg and the late great Stanley Kubrick have come together to create, but that's not to say that I can't appreciate it. An earnest supporter of creative and outstanding science-fiction, as evidenced by my constant backing of Fringe, A.I. still maintains a sort of heightened excitement for me.

What pushes me back is the central discomfort of the fusion of robot and child, as the two have time and time again proved a lethal combination. I fear to reference recent science-fiction short Blinky, as it still is fighting its way into my nightmares. To that affect, A.I. is something of a sweet refresher, but still greatly disturbing. In the first forty minutes of the film, David, played by Haley Joel Osment, is as stale, creepy, and uncomfortable a child as possible. In truth, that's by complete intention. The real standout is the eighty minutes that follow, and the journey David undergoes.

There is quite a bit of this film that is kind of ridiculous and over-the-top, but doesn't that usually come of even the best science-fiction? The world painted in the film is a deeply cynical one, and while many would like to contribute that as Kubrick's last brilliant move, much of that came from Spielberg. At the turn of the millennium, Spielberg was at the top of his game. He contains a near seamless array of science-fiction ideas, whilst most films buckle under the rules of their own sci-fi concept. I may never be able to embrace this as a work of true genius, but I am able to acknowledge it. Janusz Kaminski's beautiful cinematography help aid Spielberg in his most expressionistic and ambitious of works.