Guadagnino's 'Artificial' Premieres

Luca Guadagnino's 'Artificial' premiered at the New York Film Festival on Monday night, with early reviews describing it as a 'provocative' and 'visceral corporate drama'. The film tells the story of OpenAI founder Sam Altman, played by Andrew Garfield, and his rise in the tech industry.

The film also stars Yura Borisov as Soviet-born AI trailblazer Ilya Sutskever, whose performance has been praised for lending 'an anchoring humanity' to the film. Guadagnino and screenwriter Simon Rich have been credited with creating a 'pitch-perfect dark comedy' that explores the ethics of artificial intelligence.

The film was originally greenlit by Amazon MGM, but was dropped by the company earlier this year after it struck a $50 billion deal with OpenAI. Neon subsequently acquired the rights to the film and is planning a Christmas release and Oscar campaign.

Initial reactions to the film have been positive, with many critics praising its biting satirical voice and entertaining portrayal of the tech industry. However, some have also expressed concern about the film's depiction of a potentially apocalyptic future.

Andrew Garfield's performance as Sam Altman has been praised for its nuance and complexity, with some critics noting that he 'skewers' the OpenAI founder while also conveying a sense of charisma and intelligence.

The film's score, composed by Damon Albarn, has also been praised for its 'Bowie-esque' sound and contribution to the film's overall tone.

Luca Guadagnino has said that he chose to shoot the film in Northern Italy due to the region's 'industrial archaeology', which provided a unique backdrop for the story.