A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2 Discs) (2001)

Of all the films in Steven Spielberg’s career, A.I. is undoubtedly the most fascinating. Certainly, Shindler’s List was more moving, Jaws more thrilling and E.T. more innocent, but A.I. is intriguing, if only because it bares the fingerprints of the late Stanley Kubrick, the presence of whom tempers Spielberg’s trademark sentimentality into something a little more unsettling.

For about three quarters of its running time, A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) is an extraordinary film, only let down by a few unsubtle expositions and an ending that – for all its good intentions – simply doesn’t work.

The story, of a robot child programmed to love and trying to win reciprocal feelings from the mother who abandons him, is intriguing and – thanks to the excellent, genuinely creepy performance from Haley Joel Osment – rather unsettling. The story is episodic, the first third being a cool, clinical domestic drama and the second being a breathless chase through the more menacing world. The future is impressively realised, stemming (it seems) from a more old fashioned form of science fiction, in which ideas took precedent over more visceral thrills.

The project was originally conceived by Stanley Kubrick and passed on to Spielberg after his death with most of the crew and design elements already in place. The result is a curious mix of the sensibilities of both directors.

The DVD is impressive – the extra documentaries easily making up for the lack of commentary from Spielberg. It also features a handy, undocumented feature: at the end of chapter 27, quickly tap the ‘Next’ button on your remote five times and the film instantly achieves classic status. (VH)