Deals with a very real issue

Rating: 8/10 (15 April 2014)

Welcome to the (near) future. Relationships will be perfect, we will all find someone who is intelligent, responsive, available when and where we need them. So what if that someone is a computer?
Theodore tries to overcome a nasty breakup and the arrival of a new highly sophisticated operating system in his computer meant he has finally found a new friend and since this friend had a sexy female voice soon our lonely character became quite enamoured. So what if she does not exist and he will never touch or see her?
The movie deals with the undeniable human need for companionship and intimacy as well as how modern technology affects it. Sophisticated operating systems provide some sort of interaction but does it make it right? or even human?
There were moments that I felt uncomfortable watching this due to observing a man so totally taken with, effectively, a machine. How can this be? He seems an intelligent enough person so how could he let himself get carried away with such fantasy?
Performances, story and execution aside what made this movie brilliant is the fact that it deals with a very real issue. Online dating is on the up as more and more people meet this way and in countries like Japan, apparently, there is a decline in sexual interest by today's youth due to too much engagement with hi-tech gadgets.
So this is one to watch, but more importantly contemplate upon.