A fascinating, completely unique film that must be seen!

Rating: 10/10 (6 March 2014)

There's something beautifully ironic about a film where a man falls in love with an advanced artificial intelligence, yet it's one of the most emotionally powerful and compelling films of the year. I was stunned at how much this film moved me, so much so it cannot be denied: Spike Jonze has written and directed a modern day masterpiece for our tech savvy generation.
It's sometime in the future in what appears to be a futuristic version of Los Angeles. We meet Theodore Twombly, a man who lives a clearly unfulfilled, lonely life working as a letter writer. While he can convey his emotions and thoughts very effectively at work, he lacks this ability in his real life and it's led to going through a divorce. One day he sees an ad for a new, advanced AI based OS and he decides to try it. His life is forever changed as he befriends this AI (Samantha) and eventually they form an unusual and unlikely relationship.
First off let me this in an irresistible film and it will surprise you with how attached you get to these characters. Like most, I went in not entirely sure what to expect and given the subject matter, expecting the worst to be honest. But the acting was so convincing, the dialogue so well crafted, that very quickly into the film I just got lost in it. I believed in the connection between Theodore and Samantha, I felt it was tangible and real. Funny thing is, I'm not exactly sure at what point that happened, but it did. That's how effective it was and I have to give kudos to Spike Jonze for accomplishing this (and I'm very happy he got the Original Screenplay Oscar for his work, it absolutely deserved it).
Her is an unpredictable, thought provoking, witty and funny film. It's about the power of connections and love as much as it is about technology and AI; it reminded me a little bit of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in that way. The performances in this film are what make it as good as it is. Joaquin Phoenix gave the performance of his life! I've seen seen a number of his movies and for me this is his most vulnerable, accessible performance, by far. I was bummed to see him forgotten among a really strong Best Actor awards field this year, but I feel like in time this performance will be appreciated a lot more. The voice over dialogue work by Scarlett Johanson is outstanding, if not ground breaking. These two performances put together are unlike anything I've seen in a film and they are what make this movie work; the relationship felt completely genuine, as weird as that sounds. It's as if she was right there on the screen, this was an incredible feat.
I also thought Amy Adams was excellent in her small role; call me crazy, but I enjoyed her performance here a little more than her American Hustle role; I just found it a lot more genuine. I appreciated that the film wasn't overly preachy; instead of clubbing the viewer on the head with moral conundrums, it took a more introspective approach to advanced AI and not the usual apocalyptic angle (I found that refreshing). It was also very well paced as it didn't feel like it dragged on at any point. I really enjoyed the musical score and the visual effects were very impressive; I really liked the futuristic LA that was created in the film, it was pivotal to the overall plausibility of the film.
While I was left with some questions at the end of the film, I was completely satisfied with the experience. One of the things I love about a great film is what happens after I leave the theatre; i.e. it's lingering impact. I was still thinking about this film days and even weeks after seeing. I couldn't help but wander, will something like this ever be possible? And if so, how far are we are from this? 10 years? 50? 100? It's really interesting to think about, as we may not be as far away from AI similar to this as we might think. I can't recommend this film enough; it's my second favourite film from 2013, just barely behind 12 Years a Slave.
This is one of the best movies I've ever seen and is an instant favourite!
@the_movie_snob
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