Boy I really have to eat my words on this one....easily one of the most unique films of 2013

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2014)

When I first saw a trailer for this film I actually was angry. I looked around waiting for people in the theatre to start laughing because surely this was a mock trailer. The entire premise was ridiculous and the trailer looked outrageously awful. If this hadn't gotten a best picture nomination (still thought somebody was fooling me) I wouldn't have even bothered watching it but my annual custom is to watch all the best picture nominees at least. Well...Mr. Jonze I owe you a sincere apology. This film caught me WAY off guard and ended up being a beautiful, artistic, unique, wonderful, heart wrenching film that is one of the outside the box romance films I have ever seen. It is beautifully shot and the little details that probably could go under the radar make this very nearly breath taking. People always complain there is no originality in Hollywood...well here it is. This is firmly planted in the romance genre and is unlike anything else ever made. Set in the (relatively) near future, the style of the world around our main character is perfectly crafted. Shot in Shanghai which stands in for future LA, the buildings, the bleak surroundings, the style of clothing (the men all seem to wear very high waist pants) and just little details immerse you in this man's world so that the idea of becoming romantically attached to an operating system doesn't only seem plausible, but you root for it!! The underlying message of acceptance and just the idea of the arc of this relationship being no different than human-human is brilliant.
Joaquin Phoenix is an odd sort of guy. He often takes roles outside of the box and just seems a little quirky himself so this role is a perfect fit for him. His awkward and brooding, sad Theodore makes you fall for him and understand him as the film unfolds. His questions about life and relationships give this film its backbone and more importantly its heart. Its a very subtle performance probably too subtle to get noticed but its a performance that absolutely grows on you. I loved this cast! Scarlett Johansson is absolutely amazing in this role as nothing more than the voice of "Samantha", the operating system Phoenix falls for. She does more with her voice developing the character, making you feel empathy for her and just making her character come to life than most do in person. I personally think, given the role, she deserved an Oscar nomination for what she manages to do. You don't see her for an instant and yet she is the perfect female lead. I don't dislike Amy Adams, I don't think, but I find that she has over-saturating herself like few others. She is in EVERYTHING and everything she does she gets heralded for an I'm sick of hearing it. I've never seen her in anything that really blew me away. Now, that being said I actually enjoyed her performance in this. Its a small role and she is dressed down and has a sad tone to her. Somehow she fits into Theodore's life very well and I actually wanted to know more about her character. She did very well in a thankfully small role. Rooney Mara, who I do think is an amazing actress, also did very well in a role that is quite small and has very little dialogue. She impressively creates a lot of depth to her character with no words (the complete opposite of Johansson.) Mara and Phoenix have great chemistry and their relationship falling apart, mirroring his current relationship with Samantha is heart breaking.
I won't ever forget this movie because of its uniqueness. As I said earlier, its the little details that you notice. Even the ridiculous game that he plays (which adds a great deal of comedy to the scene) is believable and disturbing to watch because it could become an actual reality. There is some comedy to the film but its few and far between and its a dark comedy. There is a distinctive sad tone to the film and many other reviewers call the film "hauntingly melancholy" and I like that description because its so true. Its been a long time since I saw a movie that felt so heavy in a lot of ways. I was just a shade away from almost tearing up at one point and that is when I had to stop and say "Wow." A film about a man and a computer sharing a romantic relationship and I'm feeling their emotions. Jonze deserves accolades for this!! I kept wondering how they would wrap up this story and I admit I was a little disappointed. There was something cut and dry about it and maybe even a little forced but I can't imagine how hard it would have been to wrap up this sort of film. Absolutely see this especially if you love style because this film is full of style but also substance and passion and you will not find anything else out there like this. I eat my words happily Mr. Jonze, thanks for sharing your talent. 9/10