The second feature length film from Spike Jonze (his first being the excellent Being John Malkovich). Set in the not too distant future, Her’s protagonist (played by Joaquin Phoenix), divorced and emotionally disconnected, installs a new “OS” and gradually falls in love with the AI (excellently voiced by Scarlett Johansson).

Being a bit of a sci-fi buff, I was keen to check out this film and I was not disappointed. While far-fetched, the plot works extremely well, it really feels like Spike Jonze (who also draft the script) thought through the story and visuals for the film long before making it.

I find his treatment of the AI theme particularly interesting as well. Generally, films that have anything to do with AI treat the subject very seriously and the setting has an apocalyptic atmosphere (think Blade Runner or that rather unrated Tom Cruise movie Oblivion). Here the setting is sunny and beautiful for the most part, it appears to have been filmed in LA and Shanghai, and the tone has more in common with a romantic comedy than the Terminator.

At more than two hours it is a long film, but I found it captivating from start to finish. Brilliant executed and I should appeal to a large audience.