Ex Machina Film Review

Wow, Alex Garland really blew me away with this., Ex Machina. I've always understood that he was an incredible filmmaker and this was meant to be his magnum opus, but he's really outdone himself here.

The entire movie is made on the basis of a thought experiment. What if we made an actual artificial intelligence, what would it mean, how would we react, and how can we know it's authentically intelligent. It is ahead of its time by at least a decade. Ex Machina is great in that it provides an unbiased well thought out objective take on its concept that can be read by many a people with completely different opinions on the matter. Still have them all relate to the topic in a meanful way and form an individual opinion from the movie. Suffice to say this is a far more evolved take on AI than 'I, Robot' (2004).

I think that the nature of the story wouldn't work if every character didn't served a functional purpose to the story unique to their personality and motivations that can drive the story forward. The two main male characters are perfectly opposite in temperaments and equal in intellect. They openly confront the issue of the AI, Ava. It's the perfect balance of imbalances and as the relationships between the characters gets fleshed out, so does the story.

The location alone provides so much contrast of natural beauty to a sterile unfeeling prison. I also just enjoy the environment that it inhabits as both are completely devoid of human life. If you strip away the context of this movie, it'd be prime real estate. Oh, and the cinematography is just so clever in how they shoot facial expressions in coversations or the rooms of the house, the colour grading, the score.

Personally, I think I could talk about this movie non-stop. But I don't think I could possibly cover everything that's good about it because I'm just one person and great art lends itself to the interpretation as many people as possible. The real merit of art is to not just make the audience feel but to make them think.
Adam Geraghty

This Scouting Life

A fabulous New Year has started at The High School and with it begins another exciting chapter for 31st Rathfarnham Scouts in 2025. The High School and 31st Rathfarnham share a strong bond and a rich history in our community, one built on close partnership and tradition. Numerous pupils, both past and present, have been members, as well as Scout and Venture Leaders. Membership extends not just to pupils but also to teachers, staff, and management. Links between The High School and 31st Rathfarnham date back to the very foundation of the troop in 1917 and have only grown stronger since then!

I joined Rathfarnham 31st Scouts when I was in Form 1, and I can safely say it is one of the best decisions I ever made. It quickly became my absolute favorite extracurricular activity, both in and outside of school. Scouts is a great place to learn skills, both practical and personal. As a Scout progresses through the 'ranks,' they are entrusted with increasing levels of responsibility until they become Patrol Leaders. This is an excellent way to develop leadership and personal responsibility, and it has undoubtedly been a valuable character-building experience for me and my friends who learned these skills alongside me.

Being in Scouts is also incredibly fun for everyone involved. 31st Rathfarnham Scouts go on annual

summer camps to countries across Europe, which are exciting adventures at any age. During my time in Scouts, I camped in Ireland, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Each camp taught me new things about scouting, the world, and the people I traveled with. These camps are great exercises in developing personal independence as you grow older. They also allow you to bond and make friends with others in the troop—a very natural and enjoyable process! I deeply value the friendships I made in Scouts and the friendships that were reinforced through it. Being part of a troop like 31st Rathfarnham and sharing these experiences creates a sense of community and camaraderie unlike any other. I would encourage anyone interested to join our troop.

31st Rathfarnham Scouts meet in the Rathfarnham War Memorial Hall on Friday evenings at 7:30 pm. Male pupils from Forms 1 to 4 are all eligible for membership and are welcome to come along to see what being part of our troop is all about!
Leo Shorten