It could have been so much more

Rating: 6/10 (31 January 2015)

Great concept but not so great on the execution. Good performances by the cast and and quality production values couldn't make up for the flaws. I really appreciated what the intentions were behind the story, but why was it told in such a lifeless way? The two big problems are the slow pace of the film and the almost total lack of any sense of humor. About 45 minutes in I was about ready to tune out. My mind started to drift as there wasn't enough substance to sustain the plot. Editing out about thirty minutes would have helped a lot. The bigger sin is the dry, lifeless presentation. Why Spike Jonze decided to make this a humorless endeavor baffles me. All the wit exhibited in his previous films was missing here. The second half had a few twists that save it from being a total loss. It seems like such a wasted opportunity to make cutting social commentary on our device obsessed culture.