Her (Review)

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For those who haven’t seen the commercials, or heard the recent hype, here’s the film’s official tagline: A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that’s designed to meet his every need.Make no mistake, this was a change changing film from where I’m sitting. It’s not that the acting, or interpersonal relationships within Her are necessarily groundbreaking, but moreso the primary situation the main character finds himself in that is. Seeing an individual interact with an artificial intelligence, and on a level that can at times make you believe someone could bond with their virtual girlfriend (or boyfriend) is nothing short of mind-blowing.

I mean let’s face it, with the advent of smartphones that talk to us, and all the operating system technology we’re already utilizing today, this movie just spells out what’s coming. Within this reality, Joaquin Phoenix plays a man named Theodore, that is part nerd, introvert, ultra vulnerable and eccentric to perfection. His day job is that of a professional letter writer, and he’s depicted against the backdrop of the not so distant future world filled with an almost hipster, nerd quality about it in terms of dress and appearance. The world he roams comes off as a very clean, non-violent, and modernized version of Los Angeles. Everything about this reality seemed so safe, calm, and welcoming, and yet his own dilemmas, coming off of a brutal divorce with a woman named Catherine (played by Rooney Mara), and ultimately bonding with his new girlfriend, show off a dark side to his world.

Speaking of his girlfriend in this film, Samantha, voice by Scarlett Johansson, does an admirable job of making you believe Theodore could see her as being real. That’s not to say there weren’t exchanges between the two I didn’t necessarily cringe at during parts of the movie, but overall, the connection seemed viable enough that it got me thinking humans could truly find themselves in friendships with their operating systems in the next 10-20 years.

As you can tell I’m very taken aback by the possibilities suggested in this movie, however, I should also take the time to applaud the overall message I took away: Regardless if your significant other is a computer voiced, virtual lover, you’re still likely to encounter many of the same trials and tribulations that one would with a human being, i.e. jealousy, guilt, sadness, anger, happiness, etc. That being said, how many lonely nights would it take for a person to long for the ease of an OS like the one in Her? It wouldn’t take long in my opinion. For those who thought the virtues of online dating would turn out to be a complete farce (we all know how that’s turned out), I think a future to which a night in with your main OS squeeze aren’t as unrealistic as one might think.

Another facet from this film I hope is a reality in the near future is just how relaxed, and utopian everything looked from director Spike Jonze’s perspective here. I found myself wanting to be in this world he created more than a few times throughout the picture, and everything from the bright colors, neo-modern furniture, to the cleanly sight lines the character of Theodore interacts with made me a fan of this alternate reality.

It should also be noted that Amy Adams plays an important role as Theodore’s primary “human” friend in this movie. She does a nice job of playing off of Phoenix’s eccentric vibe, and show’s a lot of range in her acting abilities I’m not sure I’ve seen from her as of yet. She almost had this Lea Thompson/Marty McFly’s mother warm fuzzy aura about her (really!) Nonetheless, her character speaks a lot to Theodore’s conscious as he battles through his own personal sadness, and questioning whether he’s going mad for dating an OS. It’s a palpable, and needed dynamic that balances out the story to prevent the main character from only interacting with his computer the entire film.

In the end, this is a film worth seeing. From the unique world the main character resides in, to the many awkward, to not so awkward moments he has with his computer based love interest, it goes without saying this deserves at least one viewing. Is it perfect? No. I even found myself getting restless at some points, but the execution of something so original for a feature length subject matter allowed me to let some of the parts border-lining on ridiculous, slide. And for being such a bold, dramatic piece of cinema, there’s plenty of laugh out loud moments to be had within this love story. Dare I say this film will get you to think a little more? As always, thanks for reading!

 

 3 1/2 out of 4 stars

 

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