I am not positive I found Her as engaging as most reviewers did.

But in terms of its story I’m positive Her (written and directed by Spike Jonze) is a lot different from many a Hollywood film I’ve seen.

While I found Her story novel and its lead actor Joaquin Phoenix’ acting solid, the depressing part of the movie was the failure to execute well on a novel theme.

Different – For Sure

Hey, of how many ‘deep’ relationships can you say that the heroine (Samantha) never shows up?

Now before you answer the question, I want to ask you a few more – What does “show up” really mean in a romance?

Does Samantha have to appear in person or is ‘her’ voice good enough?

Is sending a surrogate for a good fuck with ‘her’ lover proof of Samantha’s strong commitment to the relationship?

My questions leave no doubt that the appeal and novelty of Her lies in the original story.

The setting is Los Angeles, some time in the indeterminate near future.

A man (Joaquin Phoenix) going through the last stages of a divorce falls in love with his new operating system.

Ha ha ha, I bet you putzheads want to know if it’s Windows, Mac OS, Ubuntu Linux, RedHat Linux or SuSE Linux, right?

No, none of the above. It’s OS 1, the first artificial intelligence OS, one with a ‘consciousness’ and an ability to ‘evolve.’

By merely listening to you, OS 1 can tell if you’re having a bad day.

All ye priapic jesters will be glad to know that OS 1 does a remarkable job of simulating sex. 😉

Yes, the OS can even be jealous.

Joaquin Phoenix – Superb

A first-class actor, Joaquin Phoenix is perfect for the role of Theodore Twombly, the letter-writer in love with Samantha.

He plays a man in his 30s, not given to great displays of emotions.

Maybe, even emotionally stunted as Theodore’s wife Catherine exclaims angrily during the divorce paper signing.

Does anyone know where Joaquin Phoenix was hiding all these days?

Ho-Hum Writing

In a romantic comedy, writing is all (as Woody Allen demonstrated in the beautiful Midnight in Paris with a bunch of mediocre actors).

The acting, stars and setting are subservient, playing just supporting roles, to the writing.

And that’s precisely where Her lets you down, in the quality of its writing.

While the underlying idea of Her is very novel, the writing is not polished enough to sustain interest.

It’s not half as funny as it could have been.

At times, I found the movie so dragging I nodded off.

Wit and verve are for the most part grossly inadequate.

And I didn’t relish the ending either. Seemed incomplete in a way.

Made for Scarlett Johansson

I’ve never considered Scarlett Johansson a great or even a minor talent.

Minus her sexy face and tits, she’d be stocking milk and yogurt at Walmart.

So I was glad that I didn’t have to endure her on the screen. And suffer through her ham-handed attempts at acting.

But Scarlett Johansson’s voice with all the right inflections is magic.

Orgasmic in its impact!

Bottom Line

While I definitely concede Her is an offbeat Hollywood film, I’m not certain if it’s worth a watch.

Maybe!

But be warned that the pace is lethargic.