Why I Saw It: This movie could not be buzzier if it tried.
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix is the rock of this movie. It succeeds or fails based on his performance. It should surprise no one that he nails it. It is a nearly flawless performance that is all the more impressive when you consider what he did in The Master last year. Half of his performance is reacting to a voice for crying out loud! Wow. Scarlett Johansson (or more specifically, her voice) is due the praise she is receiving as well. I don't know if I'm on the "get her an Oscar nomination" bandwagon but I'm not obtuse enough to think that just anyone could do what she does in this and come of as authentic and nuanced. Amy Adams (again, this should surprise no one) does a fine job in a limited role. They call Rooney Mara in to, similar to The Social Network, call the lead on his shit. Olivia Wilde and Chris Pratt show up. Neither do enough to warrant more than that mention but I like them both, so I want to bring it up.
Plot: You know, everything I've been hearing about this movie is how different it is. The thing is, it's really not. The story is a classic boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, and they learn how to make their differences work in the relationship. There's nothing new to that. The fact that the girl is an operating system simply makes the allegory (if you will) more apparent. Beyond the OS girlfriend element, it is as straightforward and emotional as it gets. I applaud Spike Jonze for finding this spin on it and doing in a way that doesn't feel at all forced. A lot of it is kind of eerie for how much of a forgone conclusion that world is (personalhandwrittenletters.com, fully voice activated operating systems, etc.). Then again, despite how impersonal the future looks in the movie, there's a lot of room for interaction and how it can never completely be gone from society.
Elephant in the Room: So, the future is filled with beautiful people? Ok, there's certainly bigger elephants to address like how Samantha is selectively efficient or if relationships with an Operating System would really be as socially accepted as the movie suggests. But, I'm being lazy and would like to point out that Phoenix is divorcing Rooney Mara, goes on a data with Olivia Wilde, is best friends with Amy Adams, and has Scarlett Johansson as the voice for his OS. For an antisocial dude, he is doing quite well for himself.
To Sum Things Up:
This movie is not quite like any other you will see this year. It is funny, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and sweet. There's not many writers/directors out there that can keep something this high-concept so grounded. The concept of the film is enough to deter a lot of people (their loss) but if you've found yourself a fan of anything in the Spike Jonze (or even Charlie Kaufman) oeuvre, it is a completely worthwhile experience.
Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend
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