While I enjoy this movie for what it is, I simply have to disagree with all of those who portray this movie as some beautiful love story. This movie is about love, but it is not a love story. Without giving away any spoilers, if you want to understand the movie pay attention to the very last act of the main character when the movie ends. The movie is about relationships and how difficult human relationships especially can be. However in the end because we are human those are the only relationships we can truly have - are with each other - and the hurt and vulnerability and sometimes pain that come with them is simply something we have to accept. And no matter how much you love or care for a person sometimes it just doesn't work out. However that does not mean that you did not love or care for that person and to a certain extent will always. This is what the main character realizes and comes to understand at the end of the movie.

Fairly rare one of a kind film.

A high concept film that actually stays true to its core idea yet without losing viewer interest.

Some irony here. While the film never becomes completely predictable, even to a jaded reviewer like this one, its process of de-constructing human relationship (brilliant, and better than all Woody Allen's films combined) generates the sequential "connections" with the viewer (ie, experiences that every viewer can relate to) which in turn keep the empathy going long after the initial sci fi "wow" is gone.

Watching this (as an aside) you have to wonder if Scarlett Johansson's career can get any more interesting? In the Marvel films she plays an uber-woman, In LUCY she a woman who evolves beyond evolution itself. And here yet again she plays an OS that transcends reality.

Makes for a nice resume.

Notice how Amy Adams plays every scene with no makeup? Talk about a director making every effort to keep an actor's natural beauty from hijacking the film...?

Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) composes beautifully hand written letters for a living. He is lost in his work and world of futuristic electronic gadgets. His wife (Rooney Mara) has filed for divorce. He buys the next best thing in computers, an operating system that thinks for itself. At this point the weird sets in as Theodore develops a strong emotional attachment for his OS Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) as does Samantha for him.

The film doesn't evolve into the jealous computer comedy I had hoped for, but rather examines the lives humans have developed for their computers and how it effects our human relationships; how we actually prefer to be with our electronic devices more than each other. It reminds me of those family reunions when we all get together in the same room, and everyone is on their own computing/smart device.

The film gives a whole new meaning to "computer dating." This is some what of a chick flick, in that it deals with emotions and relationships. It goes deep into attempting to understand ourselves.

This movie is on the arty side. A long two hours as it is character driven. Not for everyone.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity