The definitive love story of the digital age...

Rating: 9/10 (11 January 2014)

Ever since I heard the concept of Her, I was greatly intrigued. Choosing to make a serious, non-comedic movie about a relationship between a man and an artificial intelligence is something that could have easily turned out terribly, what with the general idea of falling in love with a computer being looked down upon in society. In fact, there was one point during a sex scene that's so bizarre yet serious, where I stopped and thought; why am I not laughing at this? Because in the hands of any other director, Her could have turned out to be unbelievable and laughable at how ridiculous it is, but under the careful guidance of Spike Jonze, Her is a 100% believable, grounded tale of love that's one of the most unique ever made.
The screenplay for Her is absolutely stunning. The writing is incredible and probably the best original screenplay of 2013. The situation is fairly absurd yet it feels very believable, with excellently shaped characters and a vision of the future that looks as though it could actually happen within the next few years. The script has everything you would want from a movie like this; comedy, drama, romance and a small bit of sci-fi.
Joaquin Phoenix is phenomenal in the lead role, he suits the character perfectly and deserves some awards recognition for his performance. Scarlett Johansson is also outstanding, she pulls off such a memorable performance considering that we never actually see her in the movie, only hear her voice. Amy Adams is excellent, she gives a performance that's easily one of the best of her whole career, and the whole supporting cast, including Chris Pratt and Rooney Mara, are also great.
Spike Jonze does a brilliant job directing, capturing a lot of emotion on screen. The cinematography is incredible and the movie has a very nice bright colour scheme. The soundtrack is great and so are the props and sets, which are futuristic yet grounded. Her is a unique and moving love story that will stay with you for a long time after watching.