HER

Basically…

Set in the near future, heart broken and vulnerable Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) makes a new friend in the form of a computer. He quickly begins to develop feelings for ‘Samantha’, (Scarlett Johansson), the individual personality created by the operating system, and in turn, she grows as a result of his affection and begins to form human emotions for herself.

In other words…

A love story between one man and Siri. 

The main men and leading ladies…

Phoenix stars in his first major role since 2012’s The Master, playing the complex, soulful and socially awkward man who is visibly hurting from his divorce. Johansson’s sexy husky voice makes her ideal for the sound of Samantha, which makes you wonder why she wasn’t first choice for the role, and was in fact a last minute substitute after filming had initially finished. 

In the chair…

It’s a shame Spike Jonze couldn’t live up to Being John Malkovich but a similar tranquil and haunting tone is underlying here. His most recent cinema venture, Bad Grandpa, however, is absolutely everything you won’t find in Her...so don’t expect many comparisons in that sense.

So…?

I’d like to say this was unrealistic but with the speed of technology advancements it’s daunting to think this could soon be a true story. In a disturbing way, Her is similar to Lars and the Real Girl, only you aren’t treated to Ryan Gosling’s mysteriousness, instead you get Phoenix’s tash for two hours. And yes, that’s too long for any sort of dodgy facial hair never mind a slightly predictable warning about strangers you meet behind a computer screen. Yes it’s a thought provoking and original tale, but it’s too placid, claustrophobic and at least half an hour too long. The over powering desire to shake some sense into Theo and wake the tone up is equalled only by how horribly awkward the ‘phone sex’ scenes were. 

Worth the money?

Unless you’re into psychology give this one a miss.

And if that's not enough to help you make up your mind, check the trailer out as well.