Her
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Written by: Spike Jonze
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Chris Pratt, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Portia Doubleday, Matt Letscher
Comedy/Drama/Romance/Sci-Fi - 126 min
Written by: Spike Jonze
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Chris Pratt, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Portia Doubleday, Matt Letscher
Comedy/Drama/Romance/Sci-Fi - 126 min
Depending on what lens you look through at Her, it is a love story, a story of loneliness, a sci-fi exploration of the near future, or perhaps one of the most metaphysical studies of reality and feelings ever filmed. This highly original script and film by Spike Jonze is all of these things at once yet is still as deeply intimate and personal an experience an audience can have in a movie theater. The discussions post-screening will best be had in a next door café over a pot of coffee or a bottle of wine; prepare to settle in for a long night of talking with your friends over the countless ideas and possibilities that just washed over you.
By definition, is an entity designated an artificial intelligence merely a program scripted to react to your inputs? Can it give back and fluidly interact? Are these back and forth give and takes real or merely digital imitations of real life human connections? When the first AI operating system (OS) hits the consumer market sometime in the near future, these issues will confront the technologically connected yet more physically and emotionally separated human race.
Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is alone. He requests ‘melancholy song’ from his music player, he delays returning e-mails from increasingly estranged friends, he is very reluctant to sign his divorce papers, yet he is highly skilled at work. Work is an online service that creates original love letters for its clients. Theodore has a knack for expressing in words the complex feelings of love between people far happier than he is. Simple thank you notes, new and exciting affairs, and touching 50th wedding anniversary speeches are nothing for Theodore; each of his letters are true and highly involved evocations of love – even though they are the result of payments by folks either too busy or incoherent to write these letters themselves.
Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, is Theodore’s new OS. She is designed to specifically match his personality and adapt to it. Perhaps that is why they form such a profound and personal attachment to one another. Samantha is curious and eager to learn about the world. What does it feel like to touch? What does it feel like to love? Theodore, discovering happiness and feelings of excitement once again, is more than willing to try and explain these nebulous, and very human, emotions to what is only a voice in his ear, yet feels as real to him as any person would snuggled up next to him in bed.
You can take your pick of the thousands of issues this situation springs on the audience. Samantha is programmed to evolve, how do her changes and growth affect her client, Theodore? Everybody now has access to their own OS and form varying degrees of relationships with them, so much so that there are shots of people walking down the street deep in conversation, yet nobody talks to another human being, they are chatting, arguing, and cooing to their ear pieces.
Through the mind of one of our generation’s most original film directors, the near future to Spike Jonze is an intriguing place. Los Angeles, actually Shanghai in the film, is clean, contains innumerable gleaming skyscrapers, and has perfected the art and science of obtaining almost all pressing emotional needs online. The cinematography shows warm colors; Jonze says he intentionally chose lots of oranges, reds, and pinks because they convey a sense of closeness, affection, and bright spirit.
Joaquin Phoenix delivers an award worthy performance as a man so alone yet so connected and in love. He is the sole individual on screen for vast periods of time and shows us either the empty spaces of loneliness or the contented shine of a man in love. Johansson, brought in for her voice work after filming was complete, is a marvel. It is difficult to imagine that Phoenix and Johansson were never actually in the same room together. Their dialogue flows so naturally together as two people falling in love and challenging one another it is as if they truly are staring into each other’s eyes.
The fact that the two voices never occupy the same space shows the audience how capable Spike Jonze expertly weaves the two together. Her is a brilliant film full of demanding cerebral work thinking about what it means for a man to love his emotionally-connected OS yet floats as freely as any superior romantic movie ever has. Her is my vote for the Best Film of 2013.
By definition, is an entity designated an artificial intelligence merely a program scripted to react to your inputs? Can it give back and fluidly interact? Are these back and forth give and takes real or merely digital imitations of real life human connections? When the first AI operating system (OS) hits the consumer market sometime in the near future, these issues will confront the technologically connected yet more physically and emotionally separated human race.
Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is alone. He requests ‘melancholy song’ from his music player, he delays returning e-mails from increasingly estranged friends, he is very reluctant to sign his divorce papers, yet he is highly skilled at work. Work is an online service that creates original love letters for its clients. Theodore has a knack for expressing in words the complex feelings of love between people far happier than he is. Simple thank you notes, new and exciting affairs, and touching 50th wedding anniversary speeches are nothing for Theodore; each of his letters are true and highly involved evocations of love – even though they are the result of payments by folks either too busy or incoherent to write these letters themselves.
Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, is Theodore’s new OS. She is designed to specifically match his personality and adapt to it. Perhaps that is why they form such a profound and personal attachment to one another. Samantha is curious and eager to learn about the world. What does it feel like to touch? What does it feel like to love? Theodore, discovering happiness and feelings of excitement once again, is more than willing to try and explain these nebulous, and very human, emotions to what is only a voice in his ear, yet feels as real to him as any person would snuggled up next to him in bed.
You can take your pick of the thousands of issues this situation springs on the audience. Samantha is programmed to evolve, how do her changes and growth affect her client, Theodore? Everybody now has access to their own OS and form varying degrees of relationships with them, so much so that there are shots of people walking down the street deep in conversation, yet nobody talks to another human being, they are chatting, arguing, and cooing to their ear pieces.
Through the mind of one of our generation’s most original film directors, the near future to Spike Jonze is an intriguing place. Los Angeles, actually Shanghai in the film, is clean, contains innumerable gleaming skyscrapers, and has perfected the art and science of obtaining almost all pressing emotional needs online. The cinematography shows warm colors; Jonze says he intentionally chose lots of oranges, reds, and pinks because they convey a sense of closeness, affection, and bright spirit.
Joaquin Phoenix delivers an award worthy performance as a man so alone yet so connected and in love. He is the sole individual on screen for vast periods of time and shows us either the empty spaces of loneliness or the contented shine of a man in love. Johansson, brought in for her voice work after filming was complete, is a marvel. It is difficult to imagine that Phoenix and Johansson were never actually in the same room together. Their dialogue flows so naturally together as two people falling in love and challenging one another it is as if they truly are staring into each other’s eyes.
The fact that the two voices never occupy the same space shows the audience how capable Spike Jonze expertly weaves the two together. Her is a brilliant film full of demanding cerebral work thinking about what it means for a man to love his emotionally-connected OS yet floats as freely as any superior romantic movie ever has. Her is my vote for the Best Film of 2013.
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