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Not long ago, people wrote letters, made phone calls, and had meaningful conversations over shared meals. Now they seem to prefer texts, tweets, and likes to face-to-face interaction. And it seems as though it’s just a matter of time before we find ourselves living in the technological world of Spike Jonze’s quirky computerized romance, Her.
Joaquin Phoenix stars as Theodore, a moody loner who spends his days writing beautiful letters for people who just don’t have the time to do it themselves. Though his letters are full of energy and passion, his personal life is just the opposite. Since his wife left him, he tends to stay at home alone, playing video games until it’s time to go to bed.
But everything changes for Theodore when he upgrades to a new artificially intelligent operating system. His new OS, who calls herself Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), may be nothing more than the faceless voice of his computer, but she was designed to be as close to human as possible—and, before long, Samantha becomes more than just Theodore’s personal assistant.
There’s no denying that Her is a strange film. After all, the idea of a man falling in love with what basically amounts to his personal computer seems completely unnatural…or does it? These days, it seems as though most people are more attached to their electronic devices than they are to their own families. They have long, meaningful relationships with people they know only by their email address or Twitter handle. So, really, it’s just a small step from falling in love through email to falling in love with a computerized companion. And as bizarre as the idea may seem, Jonze makes it work surprisingly well.
With some help from a remarkable cast, Jonze will make you understand how this sad, lonely man could fall in love with his operating system—and the film soon becomes so much more than just an eccentric romance. Underneath this oddly fascinating story is a thoughtful and perceptive running commentary on everything from our ever-increasing reliance on technology to the highs and lows that any relationship experiences.
But, of course, none of these points would come across quite as well without a remarkable cast. Both Phoenix and Johansson had to overcome some serious obstacles to make the film work. Phoenix had to work to make audiences believe that he’s falling madly in love with an invisible woman, while Johansson had to convey passion, personality, and charm through using only her voice. Both are immensely successful—and, thanks to their performances, Her isn’t nearly as uncomfortably creepy as it sounds.
At its heart, Her is just another love story—a story about a strange new kind of star-crossed lovers. But its clever writing and brilliant performances give this technological romance humor, heart, and unexpected insight—and make it one of the smartest films of this award season.
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