Scarlett gives all her soul to "Her"

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2014)

Jonze has surprised us before with the power of his imagination, and this time he comes very close to perfection in both his writing and direction. With the support of Phoenix at his very best, Adams, shining, ironically, without any distracting make up and period outfits, and showing Mara's soft and vulnerable side, he goes very far, but it's in Johanson's vocal talents that he manages to fuse everything and find the soul of his film.
The premise is unbelievable, though we live in a world where people are addicted to technology. Somehow, when the proper material is written, and the situation imagined, plus touching and insightful dialog comes forth, we are in a brand new world which makes total sense, touching our hearts, exciting our intelligence, and giving us new faith in writers' original thoughts. A lonely and insecure letter writer decides to interact with a new type of computer technology, and to his surprise, he gets way more than he originally expected, as "Samantha" begins to show that she is more than a program. As the story moves on, both of these characters begin to change, to lower their inhibitions, and to develop quite a bit of a complex relationship.
It's here that Jonze and Phoenix are the perfect match because it takes real talent to work with real talent, and through Phoenix we believe that such a relationship can actually exist. Phoenix shines here, radiating all types of emotions, as he falls for Samantha. Yet, the film and his acting would not be so strong if his partner wasn't equally wonderful, and Johansson does spectacular work, better than any of the performances than have been praised through 2013. Those other talented performers have used their bodies, faces, and voices. Johansson is using only his voice modulations, and every feeling she must convey is there. She is joyful, full of wonder, anger, frustration, disappointment, and anything Jonze is capable of coming up with. We love to listen to her interactions and "personal" musings. She learns to grow from artificial intelligence to develop a soul and eventually transcend to another level. It's an amazing achievement.
Not to take anything from Phoenix who carries the film to its ambiguous ending, as he is ready to take the ultimate step with Adams' character who appears to be dealing with similar issues. At first I was upset with some of the faded and dreamy look of the film. It had an unreal feel, and though it might not be totally necessary, it enhances the overall atmosphere of how artificial intelligence and dreams might not be that different from each other. By the end, it is another element of this fabulous film that blends delicate touches of what our civilization and human nature associates with love, pain, and relationships. Arcade Fire provides a quiet and different score, and the piano pieces are lovely and great support in their respective scenes.
This is an original film, with a big heart, with an amazing soul (thanks Johansson), and most importantly, a piece that doesn't insult our intelligence by passing some tired situation or shocking set of images as anything remotely close to talent. There is no dazzling technology, camera work or flashy editing, just an incredible amount of universal love for the art of story telling and its perfect marriage to cinema. The best movie of 2013.