Her (2013)

Set in a not too distant future, a recently divorced introvert (Joaquin Phoenix) is having trouble adjusting. But when he purchases a new computer operating system, he becomes enthralled with the computer's "voice" (Scarlett Johansson) to the point of actually having a romantic relationship with her. Spike Jonze's (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) original new film is inspired and has tapped into something important. Our society has increasingly become detached from each other and dependent on social media to fulfill our needs. Everyone walks around with their their iphone or ipad attached to their hand that it's almost part of their body. We tweet, we text, we twitter and we facebook to the point that it seems preferable to actual face to face interaction with another human. With the increasing sophistication of computer technology, is falling in love with our electronic devices the inevitable next step? To be fair, Jonze's wonderful sci-fi/romance blend is about much more than that but its premise is entirely believable. Phoenix follows his terrific performance in THE MASTER with a 360 turn around as the subdued loner. Johansson gives what might possibly be her best performance ever though we never see her, just hear her. With Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Kristen Wiig and Brian Cox.