Her

Release Date: Dec 18, 2013 

Runtime: 1 hr. 59 min. 

Director: Spike Jonze

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Chris Pratt, Rooney Mara.
 

Love is a complex emotion. It excites, it aches, it angers...it swallows you whole. We as humans are capable of such sentiment, but can a machine do the same? Can it feel? From the mind that brought us "Being John Malkovich" and "Where the Wild Things Are," comes a modern day love story unlike any other. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Theodore Twombly, an introverted man searching for companionship. He finds it in the most unlikely of places, an operating system named Samantha voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Together they embark on a fascinating journey – of finding love, seeing the world, and learning what it means to be 'human.' Phoenix gives a mesmerizing performance as a person who wears his heart on a sleeve. Through his endeavors, he experiences a gamut of emotions, which are seamlessly conveyed by just a flick of the face. Though Johansson's character is solely heard through her voice, her presence is genuinely felt in its corporeal entirety. Her personality and warmth emit incredible depth, making this reputably her best role to date. Much like Samantha's curiosity of the world, we as an audience can't help but feel enamored by their love and their ever-evolving relationship through the advancements of technology. Jonze, for his part, creates a subtle future, dismissing flying cars and teleportation in lieu of simpler effects. While the story can be viewed as fantastical and highly improbable, its the relevancy of it all that makes it that much conceivable. With all our hi-tech gadgetries and yearn for connection, who's to say we aren't, in someway, 'in love' with our devices?

Rating: 4½ stars