Whether you view Her as a vision of dystopia or utopia rather depends on your relationship with technology. To Theodore (Phoenix) it is at once the reason and remedy for his loneliness. He is struggling to connect with other people after his divorce and instead finds a new fascination with his OS, Samantha (Johansson).

Phoenix, Adams and Pratt are all excellent throughout, grounding the film with complex and human performances opposite Johansson’s deliriously seductive vocals. Jonze’s script makes subtle digs at our tech-obsessed culture on the way to a touching conclusion about what love and friendship really mean.

At its heart, Her is unashamedly about romance, not sci-fi or satire. The first rush of new love feels as real and euphoric as any traditional relationship and slowly sours into disaffection and jealousy with just as much familiarity.

Rating: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara, Amy Adams, Chris Pratt, Olivia Wilde

DIRECTOR: Spike Jonze

WRITER: Spike Jonze

SYNOPSIS: Lonely writer Theodore Twombly falls in love with his new intuitive operating system after a painful divorce.