Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis has called the Oscar-nominated Spike Jonze film Her a "sad male fetish fantasy" following an awkward interview with the US director.

Jonze, who appeared by video link on the BBC2 show on Friday night, avoided many of Maitlis's questions in favour of posing his own. The presenter was interested in exploring the idea of a man who falls in love with software, and queried whether Jonze's decision to set up such a scenario emanated from his own fears about the march of technology. But the film-maker repeatedly said that Her's futuristic dynamic was insignificant, and probed for an emotional reaction to the movie from his interviewer. He eventually drew an admission from the presenter that the sci-fi romance, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as a man who falls in love with his operating system, had "moved" her.

Maitlis said viewers were more interested in hearing from Jonze than herself. She later took to Twitter to deliver her real views on the film.

"Ok. Now I can tell you what I thought of #her. Sad, male fetish fantasy of disembodied female who does his bidding," she tweeted. "Like Lost in Translation for mood but nowhere near as good." The presenter did admit the film, which features Scarlett Johansson as the voice of Phoenix's digital lover, was "beautifully acted and indeed voiced".

But she also retweeted a number of comments from others critical of Jonze as word of the uneasy live contretemps spread across Twitter. @jamesthornton wrote: "What a cock Spike Jonze made of himself. Over-precious arse. Happy to get PR, then surprised focus on obvious conceit of the film." He added: "Like being stuck in a Hoxton bar with some git with a cupcake. Interviewing the interviewer is dull & v v old hat."

Her is nominated for five Oscars, including best picture and best original screenplay (for Jonze) ahead of next month's ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The film was released in UK cinemas in Friday.