This Writer's Movie Review: "Her"

January 22, 2014

"Her": A Review

Have you ever gone to a movie, have it affect you profoundly and still not know whether you enjoyed it or not?  That was my experience when I went to see "Her" recently with my daughter, Sarah.  I was completely mesmerized by the movie, yet as I left the theater I didn't know how I felt about it.  As Sarah and I talked about our reactions to this film, I mentioned to her that it gave me so much to think about that it would be days before I could really tell how much I liked it or not.

Many days have now passed and not one has passed by without me thinking about "Her" and the issues the movie raises.  I can now unequivocally state that it is one of the best movies of the last twelve months, in my humble opinion.

"Her" is a tale about the very near future, though no date is given.  By the intimacy and ease with which human beings related to technology, I would put this movie about 10 to 20 years in our future, which means that today's children who are now growing up on iPads and smart phones are all grown up.  The fashions of the future, by the way, include high rider pants, no belts and horn-rimmed glasses, just in case you want to prepare your wardrobe.

If I had to categorize "Her," I would say that it is at heart a love story.  The main character is a man by the name of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) who is a master of words and possesses the spirit of a poet.  He works for a company called beautifulhandwrittenletters.com.  He spends his days dictating letters to his computer which are then printed out in beautiful script, thus making them appear personally handwritten.  In essence, he writes letters for others who have lost the art of communication with the ones that they most care about.  This is something that Theodore knows a little something about.  He is separated from his wife (Rooney Mara) and keeps postponing signing the divorce papers.

Theodore is both sad and more than a bit depressed.  He is lonely in a society of people who are also lonely.  There is a scene near the beginning of the movie in which Theodore is on a subway train.  The scene seems so animated as the people who fill the train car carry on conversations.  Then I noticed what appeared odd about the scene.  Yes, they were all talking - but not to each other.  Everyone on the train was having a conversation with their hand held devices.  They all found it easier to talk to a digital machine than with another human being.

Theodore does try to reach out.  There is his friend Amy (Amy Adams), who is his neighbor and also an old friend from school.  There is also his friend at work (Chris Pratt), who makes a point of engaging Theodore in real conversation during work breaks.  Theodore even goes on a blind date, set up by his friend, Amy.  It is with a beautiful, but insecure and somewhat neurotic woman (Olivia Wilde).  It does not end well.

Then, almost by chance, Theodore stumbles upon an ad which features an new operating system to his computer.  It is labeled OS1 and is advertised as the first self-aware and intelligent operating system.  So he tries this latest new tech.  As Theodore is walked through the installation process, he almost by chance chooses a female voice for his OS1 (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).  The OS1 chooses her own name, Samantha or Sam.  Imagine if Siri became self-aware and you have Sam.  He soon comes to accept her as real, as does the audience.  Sam is fun, witty, well-organized, very curious and always learning.  She is an ideal companion.  Simultaneously, a secretary who organizes his email in the blink of an eye; a friend who intuits his emotions; and yes, finally his lover.

In an age like our own, when we spend so much time on our computers, iPhones and the like, often to the neglect of those immediately around us, does it seem that implausible that someday we might form deeper emotional bonds with our tech than with each other?  I think it is all too plausible.

The film is written and directed by Spike Jonze ("Being John Malkovich," "Adaptation," "Where the Wild Things Are," "The Master").  Jonze brings such an emotional depth to his movies.  And he invites us to reflect not so much on technology, but on what it means to be human.  Jonze's screenplay is up for an Oscar, as is the movie itself.

Joaquin Phoenix gives one of the best performances of his career.  He should have been nominated for best actor.  Scarlett Johansson is magnificent as the voice of Sam.  Though she never appears on film, she gives weight to this character - in fact, she embodies her.  Amy Adams (whom I almost didn't recognize) was incredible as Theodore's artist friend.

The cinematography of the film is absolute sublime.  The way in which Los Angeles is filmed, at it's most futuristic, also becomes a character in "Her."

Well, that's my take on the movie, "Her."  I encourage you to see it and let it pose it's questions about the nature of our humanity to you.

(Rated R.  Contains profanity, sexual content and brief nudity.  126 minutes.)

Please be sure to add your own thoughts and opinions about this movie in the "Comments" section below.

Cheers,

Steve
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