Great acting, sweet story.

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2014)

I saw this movie yesterday (1/2) expecting to see a weird and quirky romantic comedy. That's exactly what I got, and more. I have never seen a movie quite like this, and yet I have. The story itself is not so different from any other rom-com, but the way it is portrayed and thought out is so much different and amazing than I could've expected.
The beginning is quite slow, as we learn what Theodore (Phoenix) does for a living. By this we get to know Theodore as a person. He's a sensitive, but melancholy man who's looking for someone to hold on to as he's going through I kind of bad divorce. He's not ready for the break up, but he doesn't really love Catherine (Mara) anymore, but he likes the idea of being married. As the story goes on it picks up a little bit when he gets the new operating system, and meets Samantha (Johansson) and they develop a romantic relationship. Their first encounter is quite cute and shows his passionate side and his uneasiness about how she works. But their romance develops quite fast and we soon see some really awkward phone sex, which happens once before in the beginning. Both times are really awkward and are the one low points in the movie.
As the movie rolls on we learn more about Theodore's friendship with Amy (Adams), his best friend since he was in high school, and she is also developing a great friendship with her OS as well. The ending is very sad and makes you think about the future and what it holds. When watching this movie you HAVE to remember that it is in the further, and no right now. They have different priorities and different ways of living.
This movie is wonderful and is a joy to watch. Not kid friendly, but certainly for the mature teen (15 or 16, like me) would enjoy it. Definitely should get nominated for something. Joaquin Phoenix was amazing, and Scarlett Johansson and her voice really made you feel the romance and the realness of her character.
Ratings: 9.7 (10 was a little generous), 4 stars, A