Spike Jonze has always perplexed me. While his features are nothing if not unique and filled with dynamic images, they have always felt like an extension of his early career as a music video director. Like David Fincher, he seems to only be able to take a story as far as the script allows. Which is why I find that Adaptation and Being John Malkovich are undone by collapsing final acts. Where the Wild Things Are is a complete mirroring of his music video approach, almost entirely made up of moments rather than a cohesive whole. Once again interesting but difficult to swallow. His newest, Her, is one of my most anticipated upcoming films, not only because of Jonze but because of Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix, like Matthew McConaughey has transformed his career of late by shedding any semblance of the Hollywood bravura and sternly exposing a version of himself that’s wounded and vulnerable. This new Phoenix is as interesting as any actor working today. While my expectations for Her are grounded, I’m there.