A divorcee who does not come to terms with the failings of his marriage discovers an artificial intelligence based next generation OS. The vividly colourful OS adds a new dimension to the already poetic protagonist’s life, thereby creating a world of fantasy for him to live with. How far does this go on to occupy the protagonist’s life?
Language:
English
Running Time:
125 mins
Rating:
R
Release date:
10 January 2014
Directed by:
Spike Jonze
Produced by:
Megan Ellison
Spike Jonze
Vincent Landay
Written by:
Spike Jonze
Starring:
Joaquin Phoenix
Amy Adams
Rooney Mara
Olivia Wilde
Music by:
Arcade Fire
Shot by:
Hoyte van Hoytema
Editing by:
Eric Zumbrunnen
Jeff Buchanan
Distributed by:
Warner Bros. Pictures

What’s Hot

  • First things first. We need to credit the story and screenplay crew led by Spike Jonze for having scripted this movie to perfection. The plot is as weird & interesting as his earlier works such as Adaptation, Being John Malkovich etc. Here, the story takes the viewers into wild twists and turns to get their call on life – one that is in hand or that of a fantasy.
  • Joaquin Phoenix has lived his role, religiously offering the fine details of the role he plays. His handling of somberness, soliloquy through his life & the poetic letters that he composes for his clients is noteworthy. His voice modulation too, exudes the character he plays effectively.
  • Amy Adams plays her role to perfection, giving support to Joaquin Phoenix as his school-time friend, lending him support through his divorce and through his trying times.
  • The artificial intelligence OS(dubbed by Scarlet Johanssen) serves up a wonderful recipe, playing the lady lead of the movie. The film has to get due credit here for having placed importance to minute details that an OS can do, that of a simple mailbox housekeeping to that of playing a fantasy-wife of the protagonist.
  • The director should receive a pat on his back for having taken the movie back to real-life relationships when the protagonist decides to put an end to his fantasy with the OS and wake up to reality.

What’s Not

  • Even though the movie has lived up to its futuristic drama genre, it gets a tad predictable, slightly denting the expectations of viewers at some crucial moments.
  • The anti-climax, in spite of being dramatic & interesting, does not gel that much with the movie’s initial expectations.

Badges

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

An out of the box idea presented delectably, offering the purpose of one’s life through the weirdness of an Operating System.