Ian
It's an interestingly unique idea and it starts brilliantly.Then it totally falls down half way through. It doesn't know what it is, what it wants or where it's going. Then we get to know. But it's not well-flagged. Can't say much more without the spoiler tag but it just doesn't hang together well.Some observations:The mother is annoying . Really! No sympathy for the character at all and, more annoyingly, she has absolutely no impact on the storyline.In an attempt to add 'pace' there are a few long sequences which don't mean or do anything.And they throw in a little past-life psychology for one of the main characters, in an attempt to add weight.The actors are fine - Mae Whitman in particular is brilliant!Potential, potential potential. Squandered, squandered, squandered.Yep, (co)writer/director. I really should have learned by now but was momentarily wrong-footed because the director's name appears second on the writer credits. Oy vey.As a movie, it's vastly overrated and rather under whelming. Shame.
TxMike
I found this movie on Netflix streaming movies. It is primarily a relationship story about a young married couple. He is a programmer and she is in customer service. He is bright but "technical" while she is bright and friendly with lots of empathy.Martin Starr is the programmer, Joe Larsen, his project is designing something that most of us encounter every time we make a call to a company. A software system that uses human voices and programmed to find out what you need and direct you to the appropriate department. Something real people used to do, just a few years ago.Joe was having difficulty with the voice until he realized that his cute wife, Mae Whitman as Emily Klein, had the perfect voice and perfect characteristics for his project. Against her better judgment she let him record conversations she made in the normal course of her job and he in turn used her as his source for the programming.Had it only been that everything would have been fine. However it takes a darker turn as Joe begins to pay more attention to his programmed voice than to his wife. To the point that he was relying on the computerized conversations for sexual arousal. The reason I found this movie worthwhile is it explores, in a fictional way, the impact of technology on our personal lives and how it may easily interfere with normal human relationships. Both actors are excellent in their roles.
jonathanhigh5-1
I was browsing through Netflix last night after watching the latest Amy Schumer special (and being disappointed) and found this movie. I saw the description and was immediately intrigued. Without giving too much away, Joe is a programmer that uses his wife's voice and likeness for a telephone answering system for a client. What results is resentment on the part of his wife, Emily, as he seems to become attached to his creation (you'll see what you mean when you watch it). It was really touching to see how great of a partner Emily is and how ignorant Joe is to his wife's needs. It ends on a happy note though and if nothing else, I fell in love with Mae Whitman by the end of the movie. And at the very least, it seems like a cautionary tale for how technology can consume you or sometimes replace real human connections. If it means anything, I've been thinking about the movie since I finished watching it late last night. Definitely recommend.
wfbarksdale
I ended up enjoying the film because I come from the tech industry and I am generally interested in the themes explored. I felt the acting / dialogue / cinematography was a bit mediocre. The main theme throughout the movie was the question of whether a person can be reduced to a collection of data and statistics. The main character Joe, believes this to be true, however most people resist this notion and find it uncomfortable. I really enjoyed the exploration of this idea and its effects on people. In the end, Joe's endless statistics and self quantifying make him so rigid that he is terrified of change, and he decides he must overcome this.Not sure the film makers quite nailed the ending, but still enjoyed the film.