Her
Is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never met? A lot of people would say no. Yet it happens. Online people fall in love from thousands of miles away or even next door without a single look passed between them. People would look upon this love as lesser than someone who has exchanged secret glances with their love. Is it really that hard to imagine that someone could stimulate you in a way that makes you love them despite the lack of looks, kisses and the feel of their body pressed against you. The latest movie and Best Picture Nominee from Spike Jonze, Her, tries to answer that question and in return gives us one of the most romantic and complex movies of our time. I truly feel that he has raised the bar for what a love story should be and in turn, makes you want this story to be true.
Her opens with Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly, a lonely and introverted man stuck with the memory of his ex-wife (played by Rooney Mara). He writes letters for other people, ghost writing their love story but not having one of his own. His friends are worried about him and want the happy Theodore to come out to play again. As he broods through life listening to melancholy songs (literally) and not connecting with anyone he sees and purchases a new operating system which promises an artificial intelligence that is customized to each user. Enter Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johannson), Theodore’s A.I. Operating system, who learns and listens to everything Theodore has to say. Samantha and Theodore seem to instantly connect (as she is supposed to) and they become friends. She has a desire to learn and Theodore likes to show her new things. Samantha even helps him start dating again. His friends set him up with a woman who is perfect (played by Olivia Wilde) for him. But she wants something from him that Theodore can’t give her. When she finally see how lonely and scared he is of being alone, she realizes how far gone he really is. Theodore is searching... for comfort, touch, feelings, and connections but never wanting love with any of them. Seeing through all this she labels Theodore a “creepy dude.” He attempts to object but can't. She has cut to the core of who he really is and she sees through him. Completely lost and looking for something, Samantha offers him an outlet.
Her opens with Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly, a lonely and introverted man stuck with the memory of his ex-wife (played by Rooney Mara). He writes letters for other people, ghost writing their love story but not having one of his own. His friends are worried about him and want the happy Theodore to come out to play again. As he broods through life listening to melancholy songs (literally) and not connecting with anyone he sees and purchases a new operating system which promises an artificial intelligence that is customized to each user. Enter Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johannson), Theodore’s A.I. Operating system, who learns and listens to everything Theodore has to say. Samantha and Theodore seem to instantly connect (as she is supposed to) and they become friends. She has a desire to learn and Theodore likes to show her new things. Samantha even helps him start dating again. His friends set him up with a woman who is perfect (played by Olivia Wilde) for him. But she wants something from him that Theodore can’t give her. When she finally see how lonely and scared he is of being alone, she realizes how far gone he really is. Theodore is searching... for comfort, touch, feelings, and connections but never wanting love with any of them. Seeing through all this she labels Theodore a “creepy dude.” He attempts to object but can't. She has cut to the core of who he really is and she sees through him. Completely lost and looking for something, Samantha offers him an outlet.
They can feel each other in a way that Olivia Wilde's blind date couldn't, as no other person could. In a moment of weakness, Samantha and Theodore make love. I know what you are thinking but even this seems organic and real. Unsure of what his O.S. wants, they stumble through the early stages of a relationship. He takes her on adventures and she opens him up to the world again. He is genuinely happy again. As Samantha and Theodore grow closer, and they do really grow together as a couple, they fall in love. It really is a voyeuristic tale of Theodore and Samantha’s love. As improbable as it is, it is love. You cannot doubt that and you feel their happiness and even their pain when they argue. We steal moments from his life with "her" and are given the joy of watching love happen. It is truly a singular movie. I can't recall ever seeing anything like it and I can't believe anyone will ever capture the magic and chemistry these two have. Joaquin Phoenix is brilliant and in a voice only performance, Scarlett Johannson truly makes Samantha a living character.
When I first read the idea for this movie I looked at the idea of a man and an Operating System falling in love with a cold eye. It offended me a little. Surely there can be no real sparks, no romance between a man and his computer. I thought that there was no way to empathize with a man who loved his computer or make a viewer believe a computer could fall in love with a man. Here’s where the true genius of the movie comes in. Scarlett Johannson and Joaquin Phoenix play the movie with such earnest emotion that it does happen. The story doesn't force them to fall in love, it just happens. You watch it happen and as a viewer you fall in love with their story like a good book. I kept looking at my watch as the movie played but not because I was bored. I was greedy. I wanted the story to slow down, I wanted more moments and most importantly, I didn’t want it to end. I think that is the best praise someone can give a movie. When you feel sad that the movie ends and you have to go back to your own life, the movie has succeeded in transporting you into the world of the film. You've literally watched something that has changed you.
Her is one of the most beautiful and emotional films I’ve ever seen. I would share it with everyone and anyone who asked me “What is the best movie you’ve seen this year?” More importantly I would want to pass on that this movie really gets love in a way that I have never seen depicted on film. It is a one in a million movie that captures you and sucks you into the world. So when I ask myself whether you can fall in love with someone over a computer, I don’t look at it as skeptically as I once did. I think you can fall in love with a mind, a personality, a person no matter how complex or corporeal they really are to you in real life. Her is a movie that I cannot wait to share with people, which is why at 5:30 a.m. I am still writing this review. Her feels real and you want it to be so badly that you wish it to be real. I cannot recommend this movie enough. See this movie, see it often and as soon as you can. This movie is literally a work of art on screen. I plan on seeing more of the Best Picture nominees but they will have to be amazing to even hold a candle to Her. It is literally the best picture I’ve seen in 10 years.
Mr. Unhappy sez: 1978's Superman made you believe a man could fly, 2013's Her will make you believe a computer can love.
Part 1 of a 9 part Best Picture review
Her is one of the most beautiful and emotional films I’ve ever seen. I would share it with everyone and anyone who asked me “What is the best movie you’ve seen this year?” More importantly I would want to pass on that this movie really gets love in a way that I have never seen depicted on film. It is a one in a million movie that captures you and sucks you into the world. So when I ask myself whether you can fall in love with someone over a computer, I don’t look at it as skeptically as I once did. I think you can fall in love with a mind, a personality, a person no matter how complex or corporeal they really are to you in real life. Her is a movie that I cannot wait to share with people, which is why at 5:30 a.m. I am still writing this review. Her feels real and you want it to be so badly that you wish it to be real. I cannot recommend this movie enough. See this movie, see it often and as soon as you can. This movie is literally a work of art on screen. I plan on seeing more of the Best Picture nominees but they will have to be amazing to even hold a candle to Her. It is literally the best picture I’ve seen in 10 years.
Mr. Unhappy sez: 1978's Superman made you believe a man could fly, 2013's Her will make you believe a computer can love.
Part 1 of a 9 part Best Picture review
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