New trailer alert: Spike Jonze's 'Her'

When I first found out about Spike Jonze's new movie Her, I'll admit I was skeptical. The idea seemed preposterous: Joaquin Phoenix is a lonely man who literally falls in love with his computer operating system. The voice of "Her" is Scarlett Johansson, so maybe some might understand this, but it just seemed utterly ridiculous to me. Sure, Siri is cool and all, but why the heck would anyone ever fall in love with her?

I really need to have more faith in Spike Jonez. He's one of the few directors I can count on to not let me down. And while I'm berating myself, I also deserve a swift kick for not trusting in the incredible acting abilities of Joaquin Phoenix. The first trailer for Her is out, and it's stunning. I'm in awe. I was so wrong. See for yourself:

Her - Trailer (HD)

See why I feel so silly? I totally thought this wouldn't work. It just seemed too out there, even though I know this is a Spike Jonze movie. The idea does work, and bravo to Mr. Jonze for this incredibly original idea.

Her features an impressive cast that also includes Amy Adams, Rooney Mara and Scarlett Johansson, who we'll presumably never actually see on screen. Phoenix is Theodore Twombly, a guy going through a nasty divorce who desperately wants to connect with someone. That someone turns out to be Samantha, his fancy new computer operating system. Samantha is like Siri, but way more intuitive. In fact, at least in this trailer, she seems darn near human.

The fact that lonely Theodore is in love with a computer voice is depressing, but I can see something like this happening, at least after viewing the trailer for Her. It is a love story, albeit an unconventional one, but it seems to fit today's age.

What do you guys think? I'm intrigued, and I'll definitely see Her when it comes out. And also? I yelled at Siri the other day. Now I feel the overwhelming urge to apologize.

Photo courtesy of EW.com