Her (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Imagine a future when humans can fall in love with their Siri-like Operating Systems ... and vice-versa. Well, look no further than this film, 'Her', Spike Jonze's moving sci-fi romance. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is a kind, intelligent, but emotionally fragile young man. He writes at a company that composes personalized greeting cards, anniversary messages, & love notes for other people. Theodore gathers data about people & then turns their intimate histories into beautiful prose (no more paper ... everything is verbal and/or through a machine). He lives an isolated life, opting to stay home rather than go out. See, Theodore is a broken person ever since his wife (Rooney Mara) separated from him; citing emotional coldness.
Unable to connect with women, with exception of a longtime friend (wonderful Amy Adams), Theodore downloads a personal Operating System (or an OS). Human interaction is already dwindling (due to technological advances), so the OS option is becoming increasingly popular. They can do it all. They manage your life, inform you of your emails, make appointments, even foretell your mood based on the tone of your voice {crazy, right!?}. Voiced by Scarlett Johansson (but never seen), Theodore's OS is named Samantha. She's an incredible OS; brilliant, funny, calming and, as we eventually see in the plot, capable of growing as an entity. She's a computer program advanced enough that she actually believes that she can acquire human emotions over time.
Theodore is an interesting guy, played with just the right amount of awkwardness by Phoenix. He's charming & relatable enough that we actually go along with his bizarre relationship with a data program. And we come to see just how & why Theodore prefers a playful, supportive, LOVING program to a more complicated human female. Phoenix also conveys the deep-seeded sadness of Theodore. At one point he says, "I think I have felt everything I'm going to feel; and from here on out I'm never going to feel anything new". This, of course, is before he downloads Samantha, who gives him a rejuvenation, of sorts. Phoenix shows great versatility - this gentle, meditative role is polar opposite to his angry, closed-minded role from last year's 'The Master'.
Samantha is fascinating too. For a while, she has the Pinocchio syndrome: 'thinks' she's a real girl. She even finds a way to physically interact with Theodore. But that experiment fails as she uses a "stand in" (a sort of classy hooker) to be a conduit -- Theodore freaks, as does the "stand in" girl who allowed herself to become emotionally attached to the idea of Samantha & Theodore. Scarlett Johansson brings Samantha to life with just the power of her voice & all of its humanistic inflections. It would be interesting to watch the version of this film with the original actress (Samantha Morton) in the role to see how the 2 interpretations differ.
Visually, Spike Jonze has created a future Los Angeles that is both realistic & otherworldly (skyscrapers that nearly hit the clouds). This is a feasible future; a future that's bathed in warmth, peace, & general normality. I love the Jonze goes against the grain in making the future actually look bright ... and not dystopian. And the design of L.A. has a subtle Asian feel. With the way Japan & China is starting to dominate the world, this aesthetic is not all that surprising to see.
I find it fascinating that most people in the plot don't look at Theodore as some weirdo for "dating" his OS. In one scene, Theodore & Samantha even "double date" with Theodore's co-worker (Chris Pratt) & his girlfriend. I also loved watching people wear futuristic earpieces to communicate with their personal data systems (everyone walks around looking nuts 'cause they are seemingly talking to themselves). Video games use holograms instead of 3D televisions. And the scary thing about all this is that Jonze's brilliant vision of the future may very well come to pass. I also like that the film asks: what does it mean to be human? What does "love" mean to an OS? How can an OS "experience" pleasure, heartache, etc.? Are they only just a simulation of feelings?
'Her' works on several levels. It works as a romance. We are invested in Theodore & Samantha's ever-growing affection for one another. Their relationship may prove to be bittersweet, but the journey was quietly fascinating. And this film also works as a commentary on the way technology connects everyone but also isolates us from legitimate human contact. 'Her' kind of floats on air; which can be construed as both a good or bad thing. The story is a taaaad thin for its 2 hour running time. The pacing is lugubrious in spots. And I cringed at some lewd moments which didn't match-up with the tone of the rest of the proceedings. But overall, I really do admire this inventive, timely movie that conveys such deep feeling & wry tenderness for its characters.
Unable to connect with women, with exception of a longtime friend (wonderful Amy Adams), Theodore downloads a personal Operating System (or an OS). Human interaction is already dwindling (due to technological advances), so the OS option is becoming increasingly popular. They can do it all. They manage your life, inform you of your emails, make appointments, even foretell your mood based on the tone of your voice {crazy, right!?}. Voiced by Scarlett Johansson (but never seen), Theodore's OS is named Samantha. She's an incredible OS; brilliant, funny, calming and, as we eventually see in the plot, capable of growing as an entity. She's a computer program advanced enough that she actually believes that she can acquire human emotions over time.
Theodore is an interesting guy, played with just the right amount of awkwardness by Phoenix. He's charming & relatable enough that we actually go along with his bizarre relationship with a data program. And we come to see just how & why Theodore prefers a playful, supportive, LOVING program to a more complicated human female. Phoenix also conveys the deep-seeded sadness of Theodore. At one point he says, "I think I have felt everything I'm going to feel; and from here on out I'm never going to feel anything new". This, of course, is before he downloads Samantha, who gives him a rejuvenation, of sorts. Phoenix shows great versatility - this gentle, meditative role is polar opposite to his angry, closed-minded role from last year's 'The Master'.
Samantha is fascinating too. For a while, she has the Pinocchio syndrome: 'thinks' she's a real girl. She even finds a way to physically interact with Theodore. But that experiment fails as she uses a "stand in" (a sort of classy hooker) to be a conduit -- Theodore freaks, as does the "stand in" girl who allowed herself to become emotionally attached to the idea of Samantha & Theodore. Scarlett Johansson brings Samantha to life with just the power of her voice & all of its humanistic inflections. It would be interesting to watch the version of this film with the original actress (Samantha Morton) in the role to see how the 2 interpretations differ.
Visually, Spike Jonze has created a future Los Angeles that is both realistic & otherworldly (skyscrapers that nearly hit the clouds). This is a feasible future; a future that's bathed in warmth, peace, & general normality. I love the Jonze goes against the grain in making the future actually look bright ... and not dystopian. And the design of L.A. has a subtle Asian feel. With the way Japan & China is starting to dominate the world, this aesthetic is not all that surprising to see.
I find it fascinating that most people in the plot don't look at Theodore as some weirdo for "dating" his OS. In one scene, Theodore & Samantha even "double date" with Theodore's co-worker (Chris Pratt) & his girlfriend. I also loved watching people wear futuristic earpieces to communicate with their personal data systems (everyone walks around looking nuts 'cause they are seemingly talking to themselves). Video games use holograms instead of 3D televisions. And the scary thing about all this is that Jonze's brilliant vision of the future may very well come to pass. I also like that the film asks: what does it mean to be human? What does "love" mean to an OS? How can an OS "experience" pleasure, heartache, etc.? Are they only just a simulation of feelings?
'Her' works on several levels. It works as a romance. We are invested in Theodore & Samantha's ever-growing affection for one another. Their relationship may prove to be bittersweet, but the journey was quietly fascinating. And this film also works as a commentary on the way technology connects everyone but also isolates us from legitimate human contact. 'Her' kind of floats on air; which can be construed as both a good or bad thing. The story is a taaaad thin for its 2 hour running time. The pacing is lugubrious in spots. And I cringed at some lewd moments which didn't match-up with the tone of the rest of the proceedings. But overall, I really do admire this inventive, timely movie that conveys such deep feeling & wry tenderness for its characters.