An Emotional and Beautiful Movie Experience.

Rating: 10/10 (5 June 2014)

Spike Jonze is one of the most creative directors of our time. The weird but dazzling "Being John Malkovich" and the emotional drama "Adaptation" are two of the best movies in a while and each show off Spike Jonze distinct creative style. Both movies were also collaborations with the great Charlie Kaufman, a man who has written some of the greatest screenplays, all of which have similar creativity and beauty as Jonzes work. Ironically, the Kaufman movie that this movie is most similar to is Eternal of The Spotless Mind, which itself looks like a Spike Jonze film but isn't. I'll get back to that in a bit. When I first read about this film before it was released I was so excited for it. The premise was so relevant and interesting. I didn't get to see the film in theaters and I regret that greatly. So the movie finally reached Blu-Ray/DVD and I was intrigued to finally see it. I am proud to say that this was nothing like what I expected. It was much much better than I could ever have expected.
*Plot* This is the future, but not too far ahead. Theodore is a somewhat lonely man who is going through a difficult divorce. He works as a writer for a company that specializes in writing emotional letters for people to people. One day he comes across a new OS being sold in which the OS talks and learns as it interacts with the user and the world. He gets home and has it installed only to find out that it is a female OS who names herself Samantha. From then on Theodore forms a deep relationship with the OS as it evolves and learns new emotions.
That is just the gist of the plot. I did say I was excited about the movie leading up to it's release, but I will admit I did think the plot sounded really silly. So as I began to watch the movie I expected a silly romantic movie. I was so wrong. This movie was so serious and beautifully made. Not once did I question the relationship between Theodore and Samantha. The emotions of the characters are portrayed perfectly. Jaoquin Phoenix played Theodore so well. A lot of people are comparing the movie to Eternal Sunshine, and I'm no exception. The character of Theodore really reminded me of Joel from that movie. They are different characters, but so similar at the same time. Jaoquin did an amazing job in his performance. His mannerisms, his facial expressions, his movement. He nailed it. Scarlett Johanssons vocal performance as Samantha was spot on. She was funny, she was cute, she was sexy, she was sad, she was perfect. The rest of the cast such as Amy Adams and Rooney Mara among others give decent performances as well. Olivia Wilde also has a very short but cute role in the movie as well.
Now let me talk about the directing. Jonze not being nominated for Best Director at the Oscars for this movie is a crime. The close up shots of the characters to show their raw emotions was clever. The long shots following Theodore through the gorgeous city is beautiful. The contrasting of the colors used in the film are playful eye candy. I read that a lot of the city scenes were filmed in Shanghai. This movie really showcases the beauty of the city. I certainly wish I could take a trip there now. There is also a shot of the beach that is just amazing, even if it lasts a few seconds. The cinematography is also perfect. This is one of the most beautiful movies visually and I think there was little CGI in it.
Now I have to talk about the music. Arcade Fire are one of my personal favorite bands. I was so glad to hear they were scoring this movie. They were nominated for an Oscar for it and it was much deserved. The piano elements of the score are perfect. There is a scene at the beach which showcases one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful musical moments of the film. Just amazing.
So a lot of people are calling the movie too weird or pointless. A lot are saying the relationship between the main character and the OS was just creepy. I know that people have their opinions, but honestly I cannot believe anyone would bash this masterpiece of a film. Its the perfect statement on how our society is slowly getting to the point of us actually only relying on technology and barely having human relationships. The movie also personally touched me in that I am currently in a long distance relationship with a beautiful woman across the country and we talk on the phone a lot instead of Skyping or webcamming. Scarletts voice in the movie really sounded like her voice on the phone and it really hit me in a personal level. I mean I'm not in love with a computer, but I see the voice as a metaphor for long distance just a bit. Or not. Maybe it's just me. I have to mention the comparison to Eternal Sunshine again. That is one of my all time favorite movies. I have waited for another movie to come along for years and at least have a small similarity to it, and none have. Until now. Many will disagree, but I personally like this movie more than that movie. This movie is for people who need something different, yet familiar. Open your mind to the idea of this movie if you plan on seeing it. This is a truly emotional and beautiful movie to experience and I plan on re-experiencing it in the years to come.