Movie Review: Her

Spike Jonze's Her may very well turn out to be a prophetic film. In the big picture it is the story of a society in the not-too-distant future that has become disturbingly involved with their technology. The development of an advanced, artificially intelligent (AI), operating system (OS) is at the center of this issue. Specifically, Her is the story of a recently divorced, professional love letter writer Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix). Theo is heartbroken and lonely. On a whim he decides to purchase the new AI OS for his various devices, never thinking that it would quickly become the love of his life.

Most of us, especially millennials, are in love with our tech to some degree. We all have our favorite devices. Devices we feel we could not live without. Very few of us would say we are romantically involved with our phones, tablets or other technology we have in our homes. But what if our devices had individual personalities? Romantic entanglements with technology may become commonplace. The debate about same-sex marriage is pretty heated. I can only imagine what a debate about human/iPhone marriage would be like.

A premise such as this, if it is expected to be taken seriously, needs to have a cast that is adept at nuanced emotion. They have to be believable. From the beginning Joaquin Phoenix did not exist in my mind, there was only Theodore the lonely divorcee struggling with his return to bachelorhood. He is so open and raw that it is nearly impossible not to form an emotional bond with the character. I found myself relating to him on multiple levels. The same can be said about Theo’s love interest, Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), his OS’s AI personality.

After Theo installs the new OS on his computer the setup process helps him decide on the personality of his new AI, enter Samantha. Scarlett Johansson as Samantha is so charming that it is easy to see why Theo becomes instantly smitten with her. She is funny, caring, sweet and instantly likable. Everything that the downtrodden Theo needs in his life at that moment. I instantly fell for her myself. Her wispy voice and cheerful demeanor is infectious. Being the lonely bachelor that Theo is he is always more open with his tech and anonymous denizens of the web than he is with actual people. Early on in the film he finds an anonymous partner for cybersex. He finds comfort in the anonymity of the internet until things quickly travel outside his comfort zone. Anyone that has spent any significant amount of time on the net knows just how quickly one can end far outside their comfort zone. One wrong click and you can end up needing professional therapy for the horrors that are lurking there.

I find it interesting that Theo has no problem conveying the complex emotions of others at his job but he struggles so much with his own love life. I guess I can understand. I have no problem with doling out advice to my friends but I am reluctant to take any of it myself.

What I find most fascinating about Her is the excellent social commentary in regards to technology. While the movie focuses on Theo and Sam’s relationship I also observed some interesting things with the background actors. In the first half of the film they are pretty unremarkable. But, as time goes on, I noticed that more of them had smartphones that they were staring intently at. They were so engrossed in their phones that not a single one of them noticed when Theo has a mild panic attack in a busy stairwell. They just kept marching along in an organized manner akin to worker ants.

Spike Jonze wrote and directed this movie. It is obvious that he really put a lot of thought into each shot and each line of dialogue. Everything is shot in a very intimate manner. The movie uses lots of close-ups and extreme close-ups to create a sense of intimacy and familiarity between the viewer and the characters. It also serves to emphasize the intense emotions that the human characters are feeling. Thanks to this I found myself emotionally invested in Sam and Theo’s relationship very early on. Jonze also makes use colors to convey a scene’s emotion. In times of happiness and love there are a lot of pinks and reds. When things aren’t so rosy the scene is typically muted in tones. The most beautiful scene by far is when Theo and Sam consummate their relationship. Jonze crafted this moment brilliantly. It all takes place in Theo’s imagination since Sam has no corporeal form. To accommodate this, when things start heating up, the screen goes black, the music swells, Sam and Theo share a moment of ecstasy and the scene comes to an end. It was the most believable and beautiful “sex” scene I have ever seen. Not only did the performances of Phoenix and Johansson sell the scene it was aided greatly by the brilliant sound design. The score, provided by the band Arcade Fire, is as delicate and understated as the performances.

What I really loved about this movie isn’t the characters, the performances or the score. It was the questions I found myself asking. It is entirely possible that I may see this type of technology developed in my lifetime. Would I follow a similar path should the opportunity arise? How would society react? Just how bad will tech addiction become in the next decade? Will it lead to a decline in birth rates? What would happen if an AI went rogue?

There are problems we will have to address in the near future. With Virtual Reality making a comeback and technology advancing every day I have a strong feeling that we will see an increase in addiction involving technology. We already have issues with kids freaking out when they get grounded from their phones or social media. Imagine what it will be like if you take their virtual lover away. Hell, imagine sex education! “Be sure to protect your floppy!”

Her is the most beautiful and honest love story I have seen in a very long time. I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of the genre. Get some snacks, rent or buy the movie and curl up next to your boyfriend, girlfriend, or your favorite electronic device and get ready to take a very emotional journey into the future of love.

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