Ella

"Her" is a film set in the very, very near future. Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is a very lonely and emotionally constricted man. He's getting a divorce and seems very isolated--even though he lives in a huge city. One day, he decides to upgrade to a new hyper-intelligent operating system--one that claims to have a real personality. Well, it turns out to be so and then some. In fact, the computer OS, Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), is like a person in so many ways that soon it becomes all- important to Theodore and eventually it's his girlfriend. Where all this goes is a very slow journey, but it's also quite beautiful.

This film, while sci-fi, doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility. In this often disconnected and cold world, such a relationship seems like a safe alternative. Healthy, of course not--but very safe for a scarred person who wants intimacy but who is afraid to seek it. I thought the film had a really interesting message about this and is well worth seeing. My only reservation is that the film is VERY adult--with phone sex and a bit of nudity you probably wouldn't want your kids to see. Plus, at times the film feels a bit creepy. Good...but a bit sad and creepy. Well worth your time and an interesting performance by Phoenix and a really amazing film by Spike Jonze.

A great film about loneliness. Splendid performance of Joaquin Phoenix. And pure poetry. Admirable poem about isolation, need of other, social surogate and , off course, freedom. Its basic virtue - the proposed questions creating perfect atmosphere , becoming inspired challenges to discover new perspectives.

Another movie that i say "i should've watched before". Intense romantic drama. Fascinating portrait of loneliness in a post-digital world. Amazingly original screenplay, concept, musics, especially colors and performance from Joaquin Phoenix. This made me stay with myself after the credits have finished, i found myself reflecting on my own life and relationships.

While I enjoy this movie for what it is, I simply have to disagree with all of those who portray this movie as some beautiful love story. This movie is about love, but it is not a love story. Without giving away any spoilers, if you want to understand the movie pay attention to the very last act of the main character when the movie ends. The movie is about relationships and how difficult human relationships especially can be. However in the end because we are human those are the only relationships we can truly have - are with each other - and the hurt and vulnerability and sometimes pain that come with them is simply something we have to accept. And no matter how much you love or care for a person sometimes it just doesn't work out. However that does not mean that you did not love or care for that person and to a certain extent will always. This is what the main character realizes and comes to understand at the end of the movie.

Science fiction has been dominated by 'space westerns' for so long that the occasional concept- based story situation hits a big number on my personal richter scale.

What does it mean to be human? And if we create near-humans what is our responsibility to them and what is their relationship to us? These themes underpinned Blade Runner and Spielberg's A.I. And Sci Fi of the 50s and 60s dealt with machine self awareness. None of the films that touched on this subject in the past presented it so thoroughly, intimately and believably.

Her is in the near future, but everything we see is within reach now: the isolation and starkness of the "business district," the oppressive scale of the architecture (with thin, clumsy attempts to soften its sterility) and the need for continuous connection to remote voices.

A personal assistant that learns independently and takes initiative for its hapless user, "Her" is at once the ideal tool and — who knows — perhaps closer to the next level of evolution.

Pitch perfect performances and direction kept me in the story. As others have said, the locations, cinematography and even music shine in the fabric of this film. Spike Jonze is a master story weaver at the top of his game. Joaquin Phoenix is utterly credible as are all the other leads. Even Scarlett Johansson, who has not always seemed a strong actress to me performs utterly convincingly.

It's an adult-themed film in more ways than one, but especially in the best way: it makes you think about a reality that's right around the corner.