Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (29 July 2015)

I could easily write an essay on what I enjoyed about this film, filled with superlatives, and those familiar with my writing know the trouble I'm having keeping this short.
Spike Jonze has written and directed a beautifully acted and paced movie from an imaginative, inventive, funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, thought provoking, and ultimately inspired script. Terrific are the camera work, angles, locations, set work and colour palette, the production values being at a perfect level to carry the story without distracting from it. The editing is near flawless, again inventive without being distracting--holding a shot for a beat at times, or cutting shots quickly but quietly, always serving the mood and pace of the scene, without calling attention to itself.
The score is simply brilliant. Wonderful music, always in sync with what is happening on the screen. Never overwhelming, always helping the story.
I found the casting surprising before seeing the film, and absolutely inspired throughout. The entire cast, but especially the leads. Phoenix's work is very nicely nuanced, and I never caught him acting. I lost Scarlett Johansson within her first couple of scenes, (not an easy thing to do), but remained completely captivated with her character. The rest of the cast quickly and seamlessly disappeared into their roles. They were all superb, in a quiet manner.
Even after a third viewing, in case I haven't made myself clear, I've enjoyed "Her" greatly. I particularly like the last reel. In both writing and directing, with this film, the talented Mr. Jonze has, quite literally, taken a quantum leap.
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