Her

****
Release Date: February 7th 2014

A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.

Director: Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are, Adaption., Being John Malkovich)

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson

Technology has developed and changed so much over the last few decades. Her will strike some (vocal) chords that would have previously be a thing of the future. The likes of Terminator and I, Robot have made it clear how far our fears can go when it comes to the development of technology. Do we look to technology when we feel lonely? Her delves in to this, with Joaquin Phoenix's Theodore choosing the Operating System Samantha (Johansson) over physical connection.

That's as far as the story goes, and it doesn't need to go any further than that. Theodore, overtime, soon realises that Samantha cannot be controlled. The system's ability to expand is frightening as Samantha procures emotion and a backlog of memory that Theodore has no way of reverting. Theodore faces the same issues that are in a real relationship.

Her is set in the not too distant future. Just enough time for has passed for it to be moderately believable. Being in a relation with your operating system is not unheard of. Some are disgruntled on the idea. Others, a way of filling a void.

There are fleeting moments of physical interaction. They come from flashbacks or awkwardly placed dates. What does it say about society when the OS is more attractable?

Phoenix puts in a great performance, aided highly by Johansson's voice acting capabilities. Everything you see on screen comes with a lot of thought. Fashion has taken a back seat. Theodore and manager Chris Pratt wear trousers up past their navels, and vibrant colours fill the world.

Overview: Stand out moments include a phone sex scene and Samantha using a surrogate. Be open minded when watching Her, as no one person is the same when it comes to relationships.