"Well no one told me about Her...." But, that's not true. I'm telling you now!!

Her is a passionate, deeply affecting love story. It takes place in a not-too-distant future where the human race spends most of its time hooked in to whatever technologies they have available to them. (Come to think of it, we might be living in this day and age already) People go about their daily lives with an ear plug that feeds them whatever information they desire and keeps them in constant contact with loved ones and acquaintances. Amongst these people is our main character Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix). He is one of the top employees at a company which specializes in composing letters for all kinds of occasions for people who are either don't have the time or are too lazy to write them themselves. He and his wife have recently split up and, though it's been some time now, Theodore is still unable to bring himself to sign the divorce papers that will seal the deal. He's a bit quiet, but he's not socially inept and spends a decent amount of time with his best friend from college Amy and her husband Charles, both of whom are trying to convince him to get back into the dating pool.

After noticing an intriguing advertisement for the world's first artificially intelligent operating system, a system that 'understands' you, he decides to give it a shot and purchases one for himself. After answering a few general questions about his personality, Theodore is introduced to his new OS Samantha. She's smart, funny and easygoing; the two of them hit it off immediately. As their relationship develops and they share more and more with each other, they begin to fall in love and this leads to all manner of joy, heartbreak and revelations for both Theodore and Samantha.

This is a beautiful film, stunning in its simplicity and remarkable in its observations on the complexities of love and relationships. It contains few new discoveries on the subjects, but presents them with a heartfelt sincerity that speaks volumes. Unlike a great number of films in this genre, Her is not a depressing slog; it is often times hysterical. The frankness with which it examines the concept of relationships is genuine and sometimes painful to watch, but it also contains an emotional release that will leave you floating lighter than air by its conclusion.

After the slumping effort that was Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze is back on his A-Game with a vengeance. His script is sharp, intelligent and emotionally rich; his direction is stunning and the images he crafts are breathtaking, rendered with clarity that evokes a future age not too far off from our own. The story falters a bit with its slightly underwhelming conclusion, but the journey there is more than worth this minor complaint. The soundtrack by Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett is haunting and divine and Hoyte Van Hoytema's magnificent cinematography is a wonder to behold.

The performances are nothing short of amazing. Joaquin Phoenix leads the charge as Theodore with an empathetic performance that can make you laugh in one moment and break your heart in the next. Scarlett Johansson is his equal and even though she never appears on screen, she'll manage to win you over immediately. It's one of the best performances of the year and may the Academy be royally screwed for ignoring it simply because she never actually shows up as a physical presence. Make no mistake, every moment she shares with Theodore will make her feel just as real as if she was actually there. Supporting performances from the rest of the cast are strong with Amy Adams and Rooney Mara being the cream of the crop and, just a cool tidbit, Spike Jonze has a wonderful cameo as the voice for a character in one of Theodore's video games.

CONCLUSION: A wholly original love story for the 21st century mindset, Her is a breath of fresh air. It's funny, heartbreaking and, above all, cathartic and features knockout performances and superb direction. It's one of the very, very best films of 2013 and I highly recommend you see it as soon as possible if you know what's good for you!!

FINAL RATING: 4.5/5