Her (2013)

Her is a film that examines hyper technological culture through a lens that has been around for centuries, romance.  In a not so distant future Los Angeles, Theodore Twombly is a craftsman of greeting cards, the only difference is he dictates personal messages which are then transcribed by computers to be given to loved ones. He himself is going through a rough patch in life after a breakup with his wife and it has left him taciturn and distant. 

Then one day he purchases the new OS or Operating System. Samantha as she is called, is a very high level of artificial intelligence (Siri on steroids) who is able to openly communicate, do tasks and even show emotion to some extent. Even though she does not actually have a tangible body (unless you count Theodore's phone), he still finds a way to become enchanted by her. Not only can she check his emails, Samantha has access to vast amounts of data that allow her to evolve with Theodore and she soon becomes his closest confidant and companion. Her desire to constantly discover the world invigorates Theodore, who is constantly used to the same technological, yet monotonous existence. Ironically, he develops his deepest relationship with Samantha, because she reflects how lonely technology has made him. 

Real human interaction seem foreign and awkward whether it is with his estranged wife, work friends or a blind date. For that matter sexual relations have also been perverted and in a sense trivialized by technology. Theodore’s complicated relationship with Samantha brings these and many other realities to light. 

Samantha can never truly be reality; she can never have physical contact. This causes Theodore to put greater focus on the other aspects about her. Yes, she is not a normal human, but her knowledge on everything and her curiosity opens up numerous beautiful avenues for them to explore together. It could be love letters, music she is composing or even the sensation of ambling down a street. 

Ultimately, there is a downside to technology because despite being in an advanced future it cannot fully emulate the human experience and as Theodore painfully discovers there are terrible complications in relation to Samantha. 

This can be a difficult film, a strange film, and at times even a crass film, but for the most part Spike Jonze gives us a very thought provoking piece that is pertinent to this social media and technological saturated culture that is our everyday reality. The world shown to us is washed out in its pastel shades and yet it does not seem too far removed from us. 

It certainly brings up some interesting dilemmas about Her, whoever she may be. How do you reconcile technology whether computers, phones, video games, etc. with the human interactions that still make up (or should make up) most of our existence? For Theodore, Samantha leaves him with wonderment for life and an inquisitiveness which allows him to unplug a little and truly live in the present. 

Joaquin Phoenix gives a wonderfully nuanced performance, but everyone really wants to see, or rather, hear Scarlett Johansson as Samantha. Others who take on smaller but crucial roles are Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, and Olivia Wilde. "Her" is invariably sad but undoubtedly powerful stuff all the same.

4.5/5 Stars