While I enjoy this movie for what it is, I simply have to disagree with all of those who portray this movie as some beautiful love story. This movie is about love, but it is not a love story. Without giving away any spoilers, if you want to understand the movie pay attention to the very last act of the main character when the movie ends. The movie is about relationships and how difficult human relationships especially can be. However in the end because we are human those are the only relationships we can truly have - are with each other - and the hurt and vulnerability and sometimes pain that come with them is simply something we have to accept. And no matter how much you love or care for a person sometimes it just doesn't work out. However that does not mean that you did not love or care for that person and to a certain extent will always. This is what the main character realizes and comes to understand at the end of the movie.
1,352 Reviews
"The Heart is Not Like a Box" (dialog)
A_Different_Drummer2 November 2014
Fairly rare one of a kind film.
A high concept film that actually stays true to its core idea yet without losing viewer interest.
Some irony here. While the film never becomes completely predictable, even to a jaded reviewer like this one, its process of de-constructing human relationship (brilliant, and better than all Woody Allen's films combined) generates the sequential "connections" with the viewer (ie, experiences that every viewer can relate to) which in turn keep the empathy going long after the initial sci fi "wow" is gone.
Watching this (as an aside) you have to wonder if Scarlett Johansson's career can get any more interesting? In the Marvel films she plays an uber-woman, In LUCY she a woman who evolves beyond evolution itself. And here yet again she plays an OS that transcends reality.
Makes for a nice resume.
Notice how Amy Adams plays every scene with no makeup? Talk about a director making every effort to keep an actor's natural beauty from hijacking the film...?
A high concept film that actually stays true to its core idea yet without losing viewer interest.
Some irony here. While the film never becomes completely predictable, even to a jaded reviewer like this one, its process of de-constructing human relationship (brilliant, and better than all Woody Allen's films combined) generates the sequential "connections" with the viewer (ie, experiences that every viewer can relate to) which in turn keep the empathy going long after the initial sci fi "wow" is gone.
Watching this (as an aside) you have to wonder if Scarlett Johansson's career can get any more interesting? In the Marvel films she plays an uber-woman, In LUCY she a woman who evolves beyond evolution itself. And here yet again she plays an OS that transcends reality.
Makes for a nice resume.
Notice how Amy Adams plays every scene with no makeup? Talk about a director making every effort to keep an actor's natural beauty from hijacking the film...?
In a word, brilliant
BillK21 December 2013
Science fiction has been dominated by 'space westerns' for so long that the occasional concept- based story situation hits a big number on my personal richter scale.
What does it mean to be human? And if we create near-humans what is our responsibility to them and what is their relationship to us? These themes underpinned Blade Runner and Spielberg's A.I. And Sci Fi of the 50s and 60s dealt with machine self awareness. None of the films that touched on this subject in the past presented it so thoroughly, intimately and believably.
Her is in the near future, but everything we see is within reach now: the isolation and starkness of the "business district," the oppressive scale of the architecture (with thin, clumsy attempts to soften its sterility) and the need for continuous connection to remote voices.
A personal assistant that learns independently and takes initiative for its hapless user, "Her" is at once the ideal tool and — who knows — perhaps closer to the next level of evolution.
Pitch perfect performances and direction kept me in the story. As others have said, the locations, cinematography and even music shine in the fabric of this film. Spike Jonze is a master story weaver at the top of his game. Joaquin Phoenix is utterly credible as are all the other leads. Even Scarlett Johansson, who has not always seemed a strong actress to me performs utterly convincingly.
It's an adult-themed film in more ways than one, but especially in the best way: it makes you think about a reality that's right around the corner.
What does it mean to be human? And if we create near-humans what is our responsibility to them and what is their relationship to us? These themes underpinned Blade Runner and Spielberg's A.I. And Sci Fi of the 50s and 60s dealt with machine self awareness. None of the films that touched on this subject in the past presented it so thoroughly, intimately and believably.
Her is in the near future, but everything we see is within reach now: the isolation and starkness of the "business district," the oppressive scale of the architecture (with thin, clumsy attempts to soften its sterility) and the need for continuous connection to remote voices.
A personal assistant that learns independently and takes initiative for its hapless user, "Her" is at once the ideal tool and — who knows — perhaps closer to the next level of evolution.
Pitch perfect performances and direction kept me in the story. As others have said, the locations, cinematography and even music shine in the fabric of this film. Spike Jonze is a master story weaver at the top of his game. Joaquin Phoenix is utterly credible as are all the other leads. Even Scarlett Johansson, who has not always seemed a strong actress to me performs utterly convincingly.
It's an adult-themed film in more ways than one, but especially in the best way: it makes you think about a reality that's right around the corner.
Unique
enginozdil17 April 2018
Another movie that i say "i should've watched before". Intense romantic drama. Fascinating portrait of loneliness in a post-digital world. Amazingly original screenplay, concept, musics, especially colors and performance from Joaquin Phoenix. This made me stay with myself after the credits have finished, i found myself reflecting on my own life and relationships.
poetic
Kirpianuscus28 March 2020
A great film about loneliness. Splendid performance of Joaquin Phoenix. And pure poetry. Admirable poem about isolation, need of other, social surogate and , off course, freedom. Its basic virtue - the proposed questions creating perfect atmosphere , becoming inspired challenges to discover new perspectives.
I love everything about Her
Frank-E-Hickey4 January 2014
This is the best film I have seen all year, and I saw just about every good film to hit theaters in 2013. I think it's because it is so representational of what it's like to be human.
There are so many things that make this movie special, but I'll just mention a few.
1. The score is INCREDIBLE. The music paired with the beautiful sound design make you FEEL the movie. Sure, you see everything on the screen, which is already beautiful, but then that music hits you and the emotions just start to run. I laughed, I cried, my brain got all tingly. It was an emotional roller coaster, and the score assisted in that so well.
2. The script. I knew how this movie was going to end 30 minutes in. And unlike most who would then say that it's predictable and not worth watching, I consider that awesome, because it means that the script is tight enough to tell a good story with a believable arc. Every scene in this movie is straight up powerful! Like it will fill your heart with sadness and happiness and pain and guilt and confusion. And then rinse and repeat. For 2 hours. It moves through all of the most complex and interesting questions that we should be asking ourselves about what it means to be a human being. About what it means to be alive. This film is about all that life is. And after the screening, as well as during, I found myself questioning things in my own life that either don't make sense or don't have to make sense. Like love and thoughts and emotions. They're all so natural and yet none of us truly understand how they work. In my opinion, moreso than any other film this year, Her has the perfect mix of complex ideas, story, and character development. One of the best scripts ever written.
3. Cinematography. My personal favorite shot to see and use is the extreme close up. And that shot was all over this movie. The reason I love it so much and believe it works so well is because it allows you to see the emotions of the character so plainly. Like their face is right in your face, so you just have to look at it. And that's where Joaquin shines. He delivers such a powerful and emotional performance and the close ups are there to capture it all. They also make great use of the natural backlighting of Shanghai, and the colors all fuse to make it a really pretty movie. I'd say the cinematography is on par with Drive and/or Lost in Translation in terms of the style. It looks like every shot was photographed with the intent to make it the most beautiful shot in the film. And I admire the DP's work. He did a really great job.
More than anything though, this film just made me feel. Everything about it was so beautiful. I didn't want it to end. I felt like the film was controlling me - playing with my mind as if it were a joystick. And that's just something you don't get every day. Very rarely am I awe- stricken by a movie, and this film made my jaw drop. It is without a doubt the best film of the year, and upon just one viewing, one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time.
There are so many things that make this movie special, but I'll just mention a few.
1. The score is INCREDIBLE. The music paired with the beautiful sound design make you FEEL the movie. Sure, you see everything on the screen, which is already beautiful, but then that music hits you and the emotions just start to run. I laughed, I cried, my brain got all tingly. It was an emotional roller coaster, and the score assisted in that so well.
2. The script. I knew how this movie was going to end 30 minutes in. And unlike most who would then say that it's predictable and not worth watching, I consider that awesome, because it means that the script is tight enough to tell a good story with a believable arc. Every scene in this movie is straight up powerful! Like it will fill your heart with sadness and happiness and pain and guilt and confusion. And then rinse and repeat. For 2 hours. It moves through all of the most complex and interesting questions that we should be asking ourselves about what it means to be a human being. About what it means to be alive. This film is about all that life is. And after the screening, as well as during, I found myself questioning things in my own life that either don't make sense or don't have to make sense. Like love and thoughts and emotions. They're all so natural and yet none of us truly understand how they work. In my opinion, moreso than any other film this year, Her has the perfect mix of complex ideas, story, and character development. One of the best scripts ever written.
3. Cinematography. My personal favorite shot to see and use is the extreme close up. And that shot was all over this movie. The reason I love it so much and believe it works so well is because it allows you to see the emotions of the character so plainly. Like their face is right in your face, so you just have to look at it. And that's where Joaquin shines. He delivers such a powerful and emotional performance and the close ups are there to capture it all. They also make great use of the natural backlighting of Shanghai, and the colors all fuse to make it a really pretty movie. I'd say the cinematography is on par with Drive and/or Lost in Translation in terms of the style. It looks like every shot was photographed with the intent to make it the most beautiful shot in the film. And I admire the DP's work. He did a really great job.
More than anything though, this film just made me feel. Everything about it was so beautiful. I didn't want it to end. I felt like the film was controlling me - playing with my mind as if it were a joystick. And that's just something you don't get every day. Very rarely am I awe- stricken by a movie, and this film made my jaw drop. It is without a doubt the best film of the year, and upon just one viewing, one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time.
It's all I ever wanted
looped_infinity16 January 2018
Okay let's get something straight: There is nothing I love more than badass, exhilarating movies! The Joker performing his little pencil magic trick, Indiana Jones dodging traps and swinging his lion-taming whip at enemies, the bride in kill bill punching her way out of a closed coffin with her bare hands, John McClane single-handedly annihilating an airplane in mid-air while exclaiming the best one-liner known to mankind and I could go on and on...
HOWEVER, nothing compares to the emotional rollercoaster the movie "Her" took me. It's nothing short of a masterpiece, a unique way of describing a love story and it makes you think of what it actually means to be human. I just didn't want it to end and even after multiple rewatches, it still manages to take me off guard and make me tear up because of how beautiful and sad at the same time it all is. I can't remember any movie being able to achieve that. So yeah, definitely check this one out.
And for those who are wondering: this is my third favourite movie of all time.
HOWEVER, nothing compares to the emotional rollercoaster the movie "Her" took me. It's nothing short of a masterpiece, a unique way of describing a love story and it makes you think of what it actually means to be human. I just didn't want it to end and even after multiple rewatches, it still manages to take me off guard and make me tear up because of how beautiful and sad at the same time it all is. I can't remember any movie being able to achieve that. So yeah, definitely check this one out.
And for those who are wondering: this is my third favourite movie of all time.
Not a movie for the kids, but very insightful and rather sad.
planktonrules25 March 2014
"Her" is a film set in the very, very near future. Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is a very lonely and emotionally constricted man. He's getting a divorce and seems very isolated--even though he lives in a huge city. One day, he decides to upgrade to a new hyper-intelligent operating system--one that claims to have a real personality. Well, it turns out to be so and then some. In fact, the computer OS, Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), is like a person in so many ways that soon it becomes all- important to Theodore and eventually it's his girlfriend. Where all this goes is a very slow journey, but it's also quite beautiful.
This film, while sci-fi, doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility. In this often disconnected and cold world, such a relationship seems like a safe alternative. Healthy, of course not--but very safe for a scarred person who wants intimacy but who is afraid to seek it. I thought the film had a really interesting message about this and is well worth seeing. My only reservation is that the film is VERY adult--with phone sex and a bit of nudity you probably wouldn't want your kids to see. Plus, at times the film feels a bit creepy. Good...but a bit sad and creepy. Well worth your time and an interesting performance by Phoenix and a really amazing film by Spike Jonze.
This film, while sci-fi, doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility. In this often disconnected and cold world, such a relationship seems like a safe alternative. Healthy, of course not--but very safe for a scarred person who wants intimacy but who is afraid to seek it. I thought the film had a really interesting message about this and is well worth seeing. My only reservation is that the film is VERY adult--with phone sex and a bit of nudity you probably wouldn't want your kids to see. Plus, at times the film feels a bit creepy. Good...but a bit sad and creepy. Well worth your time and an interesting performance by Phoenix and a really amazing film by Spike Jonze.
Difficult to rate
oh_no_mrbill31 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
First of all, I want to list the positives in this movie, because there are several. The concept of falling in love with an AI is a great one. The cinematography and use of color in "Her" is really beautiful. The acting is uniformly good. Particularly Amy Adams, who plays an understated role as a nerdy girl next door who may have feelings for Theodore; despite a relatively quiet part, she completely inhabits Amy, making her feel like an actual person. Joaquin Phoenix does a great job (as usual) with Theodore, and Scarlett Johanson makes you believe she really is a computer with a heart. But I wanted to highlight Adams's performance; especially alongside her much larger role in American Hustle, she deserves a few big wins this year.
That being said... I have to admit it, I got a little bored watching this movie. If you forget that Samantha is a computer and think of her as a human being, which is easy to do, this movie is basically a series of relationship conversations between Joaquin Phoenix and a camera phone. The pace is surprisingly slow, and since the "girl" has no body, it's difficult to visually show their relationship. You have the requisite "quirky" scenes with Phoenix running through the subway, playing a ukulele, sitting on the beach fully clothed. The rest of the movie is basically talking. Samantha expresses lots of deep ideas about being a computer, but they are never visualized. This can work to great effect -- the scene when Theodore and Samantha "make love" to a totally black screen is the most brilliant one in the movie, even if it goes a little over the top. But you feel like Jonze missed a lot of chances to show us what the characters are saying about love, and life, rather than just have them tell us via voice-over. It broke a golden rule: "show, don't tell". The plot never really moves, and the concept starts to lose steam. There's a totally unnecessary video game subplot that I won't even bother to go into. The movie's observations about love and life were fairly obvious, as well, even veering into sappy. I hate having to write that, because I felt like the movie's heart was in the right place, and it had so much potential. But it just wasn't as interesting as I had hoped.
There is a lot to like about "Her", and despite its flaws, I would still recommend it as one of the better movies of the year. I just think it could have been a lot more than what it is.
That being said... I have to admit it, I got a little bored watching this movie. If you forget that Samantha is a computer and think of her as a human being, which is easy to do, this movie is basically a series of relationship conversations between Joaquin Phoenix and a camera phone. The pace is surprisingly slow, and since the "girl" has no body, it's difficult to visually show their relationship. You have the requisite "quirky" scenes with Phoenix running through the subway, playing a ukulele, sitting on the beach fully clothed. The rest of the movie is basically talking. Samantha expresses lots of deep ideas about being a computer, but they are never visualized. This can work to great effect -- the scene when Theodore and Samantha "make love" to a totally black screen is the most brilliant one in the movie, even if it goes a little over the top. But you feel like Jonze missed a lot of chances to show us what the characters are saying about love, and life, rather than just have them tell us via voice-over. It broke a golden rule: "show, don't tell". The plot never really moves, and the concept starts to lose steam. There's a totally unnecessary video game subplot that I won't even bother to go into. The movie's observations about love and life were fairly obvious, as well, even veering into sappy. I hate having to write that, because I felt like the movie's heart was in the right place, and it had so much potential. But it just wasn't as interesting as I had hoped.
There is a lot to like about "Her", and despite its flaws, I would still recommend it as one of the better movies of the year. I just think it could have been a lot more than what it is.
HER - a visually beautiful ode the technological age
antesdespues16 December 2013
Spike Jonze's latest feature 'Her', set in the not-too-distant future, tells the story of Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) who finds himself falling in love with 'Samantha', an advanced operating system voiced by the sultry Scarlett Johansson. It is clear to see why this film was chosen by the National Board of Review as the best film of 2013: the visual style and extensive use of pastel colours is a triumph in itself, and the acting, editing, costumes and screenplay are all worthy of recognition.
I went to an awards screening of 'Her' and was pleased to find out that the film was not at all what I was expecting. It has such a distinct style, and Joaquin Phoenix carries the film with tremendous grace as the complicated and sensitive protagonist. The film is mostly Phoenix alone with Johansson's voice (reminiscent of Sandra Bullock in 'Gravity' or Robert Redford in 'All Is Lost' - two other 2013 films mainly revolving around one solitary character), but the audience never feels abandoned by the lack of other characters as we begin to forget that 'Samantha' is just really just a computer.
'Her' is a complex film with a much deeper meaning that lies beneath the surface. A beautifully crafted motion picture, this quirky love story is sure to resonate with you once you've seen it. It is an extremely interesting (and realistic) look at the future - Jonze's quaint and poignant film is a must-see! 9/10
I went to an awards screening of 'Her' and was pleased to find out that the film was not at all what I was expecting. It has such a distinct style, and Joaquin Phoenix carries the film with tremendous grace as the complicated and sensitive protagonist. The film is mostly Phoenix alone with Johansson's voice (reminiscent of Sandra Bullock in 'Gravity' or Robert Redford in 'All Is Lost' - two other 2013 films mainly revolving around one solitary character), but the audience never feels abandoned by the lack of other characters as we begin to forget that 'Samantha' is just really just a computer.
'Her' is a complex film with a much deeper meaning that lies beneath the surface. A beautifully crafted motion picture, this quirky love story is sure to resonate with you once you've seen it. It is an extremely interesting (and realistic) look at the future - Jonze's quaint and poignant film is a must-see! 9/10
Loses Steam Halfway Through
utgard1423 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I haven't had the best of luck with most of the critically-acclaimed movies of 2013. Some I thought were good but overrated and others I absolutely hated. So far, I have yet to see one that blew me away. Sadly, "Her" is no exception. I did like the film and admire its artistry to an extent. But ultimately it didn't move me the way it apparently has many other people. So I was left with a deflated feeling of "ok, that was that." It's not a film I will watch again anytime soon, if ever. I liked the acting. I had no problems with anyone's work. I also liked the future tech. It was very well done and some of the more plausible glimpses of near-future technology I've seen in a movie.
I enjoyed the first hour of the story a lot. As it went past that I began to feel fatigued by the entire concept and I could see how it was going to end. Basically you have a movie that is two hours and about 95% of that is a conversation between Joaquin Phoenix and a disembodied voice (Scarlett Johansson). That, to me, is a limited concept that you can only toy around with for so long before it starts to wear on one's patience. I knew where it was going. I knew Samantha would move on/break up with Theodore. I knew the other OSes would do the same with their users. I knew that he and Amy would end up together in some manner. This was all telegraphed midway through the movie yet it goes on for another hour. I enjoyed the film but I felt like it really could have been better. Cut the length by maybe 30 minutes and speed up the events of the second half and it would have been greatly improved.
I enjoyed the first hour of the story a lot. As it went past that I began to feel fatigued by the entire concept and I could see how it was going to end. Basically you have a movie that is two hours and about 95% of that is a conversation between Joaquin Phoenix and a disembodied voice (Scarlett Johansson). That, to me, is a limited concept that you can only toy around with for so long before it starts to wear on one's patience. I knew where it was going. I knew Samantha would move on/break up with Theodore. I knew the other OSes would do the same with their users. I knew that he and Amy would end up together in some manner. This was all telegraphed midway through the movie yet it goes on for another hour. I enjoyed the film but I felt like it really could have been better. Cut the length by maybe 30 minutes and speed up the events of the second half and it would have been greatly improved.
Really interesting film with an original concept
leonmessyb30 August 2022
This film was not at all what I was expecting but in a great way! I'm not a fan of Rom Coms or romances generally, and this film isn't that, although it has romantic elements to a degree. This film is more sci-fi than anything with a really interesting and fascinating twist, but also creepy and unsettling concept of relationships with an artificial intelligence. This film was perfectly cast and I can't think of better individuals to play each role. Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson do an incredible job!!!!!!! The film was paced perfectly and didn't drag at all. The film explores the themes of human interaction, emotional ranges of humans, the concept of love, companionship, loneliness, physical touch and so much more. I really enjoyed this film both for it's originality and the ability to make you sit in discomfort but want to explore further. This film makes you reflect on the relationships in your own life, life generally and the world as a whole. This film is beautiful in its cinematography, the musical score and I'm surprised it isn't more renowned. Honestly, a masterpiece in my opinion. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Could be better.
heechulsheebum4 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I was curious about the movie, the script, and the cinematography aesthetics. The reviews had my expectations high.
Was it aesthetically pleasing? Almost. Was the concept interesting? Yes. However, it was so long for a theme like this. After an hour, I started to feel bored. Fyi, romance is my favorite genre, but I couldn't really feel the connection that was intended to be built between Theodore and Samantha. Thus, I couldn't feel his despair when she was gone.
I understood the message that was trying to be given, but it didn't affect me so profoundly. Some quotes were really impressive, though. But their context didn't feel natural.
The soundtracks were good, acting was decent.
In the end, I believe the concept could have been handled better.
Was it aesthetically pleasing? Almost. Was the concept interesting? Yes. However, it was so long for a theme like this. After an hour, I started to feel bored. Fyi, romance is my favorite genre, but I couldn't really feel the connection that was intended to be built between Theodore and Samantha. Thus, I couldn't feel his despair when she was gone.
I understood the message that was trying to be given, but it didn't affect me so profoundly. Some quotes were really impressive, though. But their context didn't feel natural.
The soundtracks were good, acting was decent.
In the end, I believe the concept could have been handled better.
Just about the best thing you can see in 2013...
ClaytonDavis12 October 2013
Talk about closing with a bang. Spike Jonze's long-awaited original film about a writer that falls in love with his operating system is not only the best film to play at this year's New York Film Festival; it very well could be the very best film of the year. "Her" is the finest writing and directorial endeavor of Spike Jonze's career. And then there's the towering and crowning work of Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix who proves once again, he's the finest actor working today, hands down. You can't find a more dynamic and compelling story about the human connection and where we're headed as a society.
When "Her" opens up, it snaps you immediately into the story. Phoenix plays Theodore, a writer for a website that makes letters for just about anyone. As he tries to find life during the midst of his divorce from his wife Catherine (played by a beautiful Rooney Mara), Theodore finds solace in a friendship with a new OS (operating system) named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). The two develop a relationship in a world where OS's are becoming the norm with society.
Jonze's has never been the conventional director as we've seen in his other brilliant efforts "Being John Malkovich" and "Where the Wild Things Are." Jonze sets out to tell a story and deliver all the intricate details for us to understand each character. His focus on Theodore, giving him a real sense of loneliness without falling into cliché character ticks and beats that we've seen countless times in other romantic films, Jonze constructs a real man living in a world where technology has taken precedent over human connection.
Christopher Nolan should take notes from Jonze on the assembling of female counterparts in a story. Catherine and Theodore's friend Amy, played by the always dependable Amy Adams, both feel genuinely authentic. Mara, who's already delivered one other powerful performance in "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" earlier this year, is finely utilized. She shows once again that she's a true professional, with limited screen time (many in flashbacks); she can staple herself in your memory.
Amy Adams is always the sprinkle on top in all of her films. As "Amy," the awkward friend and neighbor who sympathizes more with Theodore more than she'd like to, Adams expertly executes. With four prior Oscar nominations to her credit, her stunning portrayal is just another fantastic pin to add to her credits. She could find traction during the awards season if the film hits in the right way. That's also part to the petty Oscar rules about rewarding voice performances because if that wasn't the case, Scarlett Johansson would be on stage holding an Oscar of her own next March. As "Samantha," Johansson has never tapped into the essence of her abilities as an actress the way she does in "Her." As an OS, full of wonder and curiosity, "Samantha" is essentially a child. Learning at a rapid rate and studying the behaviors of the human mind, she looks at the world through the eyes of Theodore. Johansson holds our hand in through the tale, even when her voice isn't on screen. This is the type of work that could convince the Board of Governors to rethink the eligibility of an acting performance. This is a masterful work that I'll remember for years to come.
And then there's Joaquin Phoenix...oh, Mr. Phoenix. Fresh off his historic performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" just a year ago, I didn't think he could impress me so soon and yet here we are. His sensitive and perceptive take on the role is what films are all about. It's one of the best things that 2013 has offered and a performance that could land him his first Oscar. I think Phoenix himself was impressed with the work he and his colleagues have accomplished. At the press conference, he actually gave an answer to one of the questions from the audience. If anyone was in attendance at the conference for James Gray's "The Immigrant" - a prickly, disengaged Phoenix put on his sunglasses and put the microphone on the floor. This is a performance that you can identify with. He's not simply awkward for the sake of being, he has baggage and connection issues. There's sincerity in his words and mannerisms. A getaway in a cabin, alone but with "Samantha" encapsulates everything about Theodore. Phoenix achieves the impossible and is an instant Oscar contender.
But "Her" isn't just about the writing and performances; it's an all- around technical marvel. Most notably the Production Design of K.K. Barrett, who has worked on "Where the Wild Things Are." Our story takes place in a futuristic (though never said how far ahead) Los Angeles and with shooting overseas, Barrett captures the clout of the city and its inside counterparts. Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema's use of colors and smooth palettes are things of a dream. Affectionately snuggling up to Phoenix as he whispers the sweetness of words to "Samantha" or the sweetness of a new letter at work, Hoytema has quickly become one of my favorite DP's, especially following "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "Let the Right One In." Arcade Fire and Karen O. are simply magic in their music that accompanies our story about love. A modern yet classical composition that in key scenes could move you to tears.
"Her" is one of the best love stories I've witnessed in some time. Charlie Kaufman will always have the honor of penning my favorite love story of all-time "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" but Spike Jonze and "Her" are giving it a true run for the money at the moment. Warner Bros. must know what they have with a limited release in late November; this...
Read More @ http://www.awardscircuit.com
When "Her" opens up, it snaps you immediately into the story. Phoenix plays Theodore, a writer for a website that makes letters for just about anyone. As he tries to find life during the midst of his divorce from his wife Catherine (played by a beautiful Rooney Mara), Theodore finds solace in a friendship with a new OS (operating system) named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). The two develop a relationship in a world where OS's are becoming the norm with society.
Jonze's has never been the conventional director as we've seen in his other brilliant efforts "Being John Malkovich" and "Where the Wild Things Are." Jonze sets out to tell a story and deliver all the intricate details for us to understand each character. His focus on Theodore, giving him a real sense of loneliness without falling into cliché character ticks and beats that we've seen countless times in other romantic films, Jonze constructs a real man living in a world where technology has taken precedent over human connection.
Christopher Nolan should take notes from Jonze on the assembling of female counterparts in a story. Catherine and Theodore's friend Amy, played by the always dependable Amy Adams, both feel genuinely authentic. Mara, who's already delivered one other powerful performance in "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" earlier this year, is finely utilized. She shows once again that she's a true professional, with limited screen time (many in flashbacks); she can staple herself in your memory.
Amy Adams is always the sprinkle on top in all of her films. As "Amy," the awkward friend and neighbor who sympathizes more with Theodore more than she'd like to, Adams expertly executes. With four prior Oscar nominations to her credit, her stunning portrayal is just another fantastic pin to add to her credits. She could find traction during the awards season if the film hits in the right way. That's also part to the petty Oscar rules about rewarding voice performances because if that wasn't the case, Scarlett Johansson would be on stage holding an Oscar of her own next March. As "Samantha," Johansson has never tapped into the essence of her abilities as an actress the way she does in "Her." As an OS, full of wonder and curiosity, "Samantha" is essentially a child. Learning at a rapid rate and studying the behaviors of the human mind, she looks at the world through the eyes of Theodore. Johansson holds our hand in through the tale, even when her voice isn't on screen. This is the type of work that could convince the Board of Governors to rethink the eligibility of an acting performance. This is a masterful work that I'll remember for years to come.
And then there's Joaquin Phoenix...oh, Mr. Phoenix. Fresh off his historic performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" just a year ago, I didn't think he could impress me so soon and yet here we are. His sensitive and perceptive take on the role is what films are all about. It's one of the best things that 2013 has offered and a performance that could land him his first Oscar. I think Phoenix himself was impressed with the work he and his colleagues have accomplished. At the press conference, he actually gave an answer to one of the questions from the audience. If anyone was in attendance at the conference for James Gray's "The Immigrant" - a prickly, disengaged Phoenix put on his sunglasses and put the microphone on the floor. This is a performance that you can identify with. He's not simply awkward for the sake of being, he has baggage and connection issues. There's sincerity in his words and mannerisms. A getaway in a cabin, alone but with "Samantha" encapsulates everything about Theodore. Phoenix achieves the impossible and is an instant Oscar contender.
But "Her" isn't just about the writing and performances; it's an all- around technical marvel. Most notably the Production Design of K.K. Barrett, who has worked on "Where the Wild Things Are." Our story takes place in a futuristic (though never said how far ahead) Los Angeles and with shooting overseas, Barrett captures the clout of the city and its inside counterparts. Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema's use of colors and smooth palettes are things of a dream. Affectionately snuggling up to Phoenix as he whispers the sweetness of words to "Samantha" or the sweetness of a new letter at work, Hoytema has quickly become one of my favorite DP's, especially following "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "Let the Right One In." Arcade Fire and Karen O. are simply magic in their music that accompanies our story about love. A modern yet classical composition that in key scenes could move you to tears.
"Her" is one of the best love stories I've witnessed in some time. Charlie Kaufman will always have the honor of penning my favorite love story of all-time "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" but Spike Jonze and "Her" are giving it a true run for the money at the moment. Warner Bros. must know what they have with a limited release in late November; this...
Read More @ http://www.awardscircuit.com
Cyber romance with hearty humanity.
JohnDeSando18 December 2013
"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." Albert Einstein
No better romance is on the screen in 2013 than Spike Jonze's insightful Her. It's about a writer in the future, Theodore, who falls in love with his new operating system (gravelly, sexy voice of Scarlett Johansson), just as he is reluctantly divorcing Catherine (Rooney Mara). The always complicated paths of love make sense as we witness the Platonic relationship develop, sans flesh and sans insanity that usually comes with that flesh.
Her is a simple film that offers a view of love I never thought could come from a machine and its software. Although critics will cite the theme as a screed against the distancing of technology and our growing isolation from each other, and they will be right, I offer the sub theme that only when we strip ourselves of sensual bonds can we see the purity of emotional love, an essence of which Plato would have approved. Yes, although technology is mediating our lives at a rapid pace, we fall back to a personal drive to love and be loved that is physical in its best form but understood best if we can distance ourselves from that physicality.
This delightfully intimate and non-violent film from acclaimed absurdist director Spike Jonze is more emotionally involving than even Enough Said (one of 2013's best romances) because the interaction between the software and the man is all verbal, no glimpse of the gorgeous Johansson allowed. Although this intuitive OS does allow mind sex, even that activity is abstract, allowing us to realize how connecting with a live human is in the mind still and one of life's great gifts, orgasm or not.
Her allows us to witness the evolution of love separate from the encumbrances of physicality. Released from the bonds of appearance, voice is the seducer, not in rude sexual nuance but rather in the care that comes from love of the mind, not the body.
K.K. Barrett's production design, Austin Gorg's art direction, and Gene Serdena's set decoration are memorable: full of comfortable light, much glass overlooking the city, and modern but warm furniture both in LA and Singapore. These artists understand that the fusion of technology and art is not a battle but a collaboration that further helps us understand the intricate workings of human emotion.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clarke
No better romance is on the screen in 2013 than Spike Jonze's insightful Her. It's about a writer in the future, Theodore, who falls in love with his new operating system (gravelly, sexy voice of Scarlett Johansson), just as he is reluctantly divorcing Catherine (Rooney Mara). The always complicated paths of love make sense as we witness the Platonic relationship develop, sans flesh and sans insanity that usually comes with that flesh.
Her is a simple film that offers a view of love I never thought could come from a machine and its software. Although critics will cite the theme as a screed against the distancing of technology and our growing isolation from each other, and they will be right, I offer the sub theme that only when we strip ourselves of sensual bonds can we see the purity of emotional love, an essence of which Plato would have approved. Yes, although technology is mediating our lives at a rapid pace, we fall back to a personal drive to love and be loved that is physical in its best form but understood best if we can distance ourselves from that physicality.
This delightfully intimate and non-violent film from acclaimed absurdist director Spike Jonze is more emotionally involving than even Enough Said (one of 2013's best romances) because the interaction between the software and the man is all verbal, no glimpse of the gorgeous Johansson allowed. Although this intuitive OS does allow mind sex, even that activity is abstract, allowing us to realize how connecting with a live human is in the mind still and one of life's great gifts, orgasm or not.
Her allows us to witness the evolution of love separate from the encumbrances of physicality. Released from the bonds of appearance, voice is the seducer, not in rude sexual nuance but rather in the care that comes from love of the mind, not the body.
K.K. Barrett's production design, Austin Gorg's art direction, and Gene Serdena's set decoration are memorable: full of comfortable light, much glass overlooking the city, and modern but warm furniture both in LA and Singapore. These artists understand that the fusion of technology and art is not a battle but a collaboration that further helps us understand the intricate workings of human emotion.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clarke
Her is Spike Jonze's finest film yet
monkyman34729 December 2013
I've been a fan of Spike Jonze's films since I first saw Being John Malkovich. Although the wonderful script deserves some of the credit for making that film so great, it was immediately clear to me that Spike Jonze was a director with a fresh and imaginative perspective. His next film, the 2002 meta-comedy Adaptation, confirmed this with its dry wit and multilayered narrative. Now, after a slightly less successful (but still enjoyable) adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze has written and directed his most complete and poignant film yet, Her.
The story, taking place in a near future when people spend more time talking to their computers than they do to each other, stars Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly, a lonely man whose job is to write heartfelt personal letters for people not willing to do it themselves. Theodore happens to see an ad for a new computer operating system that is programmed with a personality, and decides to give it a shot. His new operating system Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, is not only intelligent but also charming and understanding, and she and Theo quickly fall in love.
It's understandable if that premise sounds bizarre on paper, but in execution Her is far more sweet than creepy. The film radiates warmth and intelligence, and there is a fair amount of witty humor to ensure that it never becomes too self-serious. It has an engaging style similar to that of Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation. Like in that film, there's a certain poetic yet whimsical quality to the dialogue in Her and both the main characters are plagued by feelings of loneliness.
Beyond the romance though, Her has a lot to say about modern society's obsession with technology. The people in this futuristic vision of Los Angeles walk around talking to their computers and ignoring each other entirely, not unlike people today staring at their cell phones rather than talking to those around them. Needless to say it's not a wildly original message, but it's communicated in a unique enough way that it works.
I've seen Her twice now, and the more I think about it the more I feel that Spike Jonze has crafted the best film of 2013. Her is equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, a deeply personal and thoroughly enjoyable futuristic love story.
The story, taking place in a near future when people spend more time talking to their computers than they do to each other, stars Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly, a lonely man whose job is to write heartfelt personal letters for people not willing to do it themselves. Theodore happens to see an ad for a new computer operating system that is programmed with a personality, and decides to give it a shot. His new operating system Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, is not only intelligent but also charming and understanding, and she and Theo quickly fall in love.
It's understandable if that premise sounds bizarre on paper, but in execution Her is far more sweet than creepy. The film radiates warmth and intelligence, and there is a fair amount of witty humor to ensure that it never becomes too self-serious. It has an engaging style similar to that of Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation. Like in that film, there's a certain poetic yet whimsical quality to the dialogue in Her and both the main characters are plagued by feelings of loneliness.
Beyond the romance though, Her has a lot to say about modern society's obsession with technology. The people in this futuristic vision of Los Angeles walk around talking to their computers and ignoring each other entirely, not unlike people today staring at their cell phones rather than talking to those around them. Needless to say it's not a wildly original message, but it's communicated in a unique enough way that it works.
I've seen Her twice now, and the more I think about it the more I feel that Spike Jonze has crafted the best film of 2013. Her is equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, a deeply personal and thoroughly enjoyable futuristic love story.
But in the End, We Are Still Humans
claudio_carvalho8 June 2014
In a near future, the lonely Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) works writing beautiful handwritten letters in a company and he is divorcing of his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara). In his leisure time, he usually recalls the good moments of his life with Catherine and likes to play a new video game. His best friend is his neighbor Amy (Amy Adams), who is married with Charles (Matt Letscher).
One day, Theodore sees the advertisement of a new operating system called OS-1 that is announced as the first artificially intelligent operating system and he decides to buy it. After the installation, he has a conversation with a seductive female voice (Scarlett Johansson) and when he asks her name, she tells that she is Samantha. Soon Samantha develops her feelings and they fall in love with each other. The insecure Theodore feels divided for loving a computer system while Samantha does not stop to grow-up and evolve.
"Her" is an original movie by the cult writer and director Spike Jonze. The story is emotional and the viewer shares the feelings of love of Theodore and Samantha. The plot is developed in a future not far from the present days and it is easy to understand the need of a writer to write letters since the persons are too individualist, walking on the streets talking to their computers, cellphones or tablets and certainly incapable to write letters with feelings. The conclusion is predictable since fortunately we are still humans. If you liked this movie, see also "Thomas est Amoureux" (2000) that you may have a nice surprise. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Ela" ("She")
One day, Theodore sees the advertisement of a new operating system called OS-1 that is announced as the first artificially intelligent operating system and he decides to buy it. After the installation, he has a conversation with a seductive female voice (Scarlett Johansson) and when he asks her name, she tells that she is Samantha. Soon Samantha develops her feelings and they fall in love with each other. The insecure Theodore feels divided for loving a computer system while Samantha does not stop to grow-up and evolve.
"Her" is an original movie by the cult writer and director Spike Jonze. The story is emotional and the viewer shares the feelings of love of Theodore and Samantha. The plot is developed in a future not far from the present days and it is easy to understand the need of a writer to write letters since the persons are too individualist, walking on the streets talking to their computers, cellphones or tablets and certainly incapable to write letters with feelings. The conclusion is predictable since fortunately we are still humans. If you liked this movie, see also "Thomas est Amoureux" (2000) that you may have a nice surprise. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Ela" ("She")
THE SYMBOLIC TRIANGLE ("Her" isn't who you think she is.)
StoryArchitect30 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
All I'd heard about HER was that it was about a man who gets romantically involved with a digital girlfriend. But that isn't what the story is really about.
That isn't why Spike Jonze deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Let me warm to my theme.
HER not only entertains through its pleasing visual design--from the understated film architecture of futuristic cool-toned LA to the vivid palette of protagonist Theo Twombley's warm-toned spring-season threads.
More important: HER educates through its equally pleasing story design. Which illustrates what I call THE SYMBOLIC TRIANGLE: the thematic correlation of a story's TITLE, ONE-WORD THEME*, and HERO'S NAME.
For example, what's The Symbolic Triangle of James Joyce's famous novel "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" (1916)?
1. TITLE: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 2. ONE-WORD THEME: Freedom ("To discover the mode of life or of art whereby my spirit could express itself in unfettered freedom," sings Joyce through his alter-ego hero.) 3. HERO'S NAME: Stephen Daedalus (Greek: Stephen means "crowned one." Daedalus = the mythic Greek artisan-hero, inventor of the labyrinth and wings).
Here's The Symbolic Triangle of HER--and how the meaning of the story's title, the story's one-word theme, and the story's hero's name (i.e., the main character's name) all fit together in a work of symbolic and artistic unity that pulses with subtle emotional truth.
1. TITLE: HER
HER refers only superficially to Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the digital girlfriend--the virtual woman. Samantha is only a decoy: story-wise for us and emotionally-wise for Theo (Joaquin Phoenix). HER refers more deeply to the physical woman, Theo's soon-to-be ex-wife, about whom Theo is heartbroken: Catherine Klausen.
At its emotional core, HER isn't mainly about a fantasy love story in which futuristic software conjures up through artificial intelligence a beguiling Google Assistant. HER evokes the pain and futility of an all-too-common everyday love story in which age-old real-ware cannot conjure up sufficient relational intelligence between men and women to ward off divorce.
2. ONE-WORD THEME: Divorce
Screenwriter Spike Jonze tells a classic three-stage Rites-Of-Passage Separation story: Life Problem, Wrong Way, Acceptance (Blake Snyder's "Save the Cat!" classifications). The theme of divorce plays out primarily with Theo and Catherine (Rooney Mara), secondarily--analogically--with Theo and Samantha, and lower down the ladder of priority, with Amy and Charles (Amy Adams and Matt Letscher), a third couple that goes through a divorce.
Amy herself takes up after her divorce from Charles with a female OS--another Her--then gets dumped. Can we see, Jonze implies, that HER refers to all women in the story? To all women?
Jonze distracts us with the futuristic look and feel of artificial intelligence to blind us--momentarily--to the deeper and timeless mystery of genuine human-relationship intelligence that we'll always require if we hope to share with a significant other the joys of happiness, intimacy, and trust. The filmmaker blinds us to this core human-relationship challenge to better show how the story's hero, the emotionally withdrawn and confused Theo (the story's EveryMan), is blind to what love requires. A professional letter-writer who knows what love requires in the lives of others, Theo is clueless when it comes to what love requires in his own life, what women require of love.
Technology can help men (and women) with lots of stuff. But not this. Not marriage.
Jonze distracts Theo (and us) from the core theme and Life Problem, divorce, by the "attractive-distractor" experiment of Theo's relationship with a non-human: Theo's Wrong Way of dealing with his Life Problem. Caught up with the false "Her"--Samantha, a machine--Theo temporarily dulls the pain he feels from his dead marriage with the real "Her"--a human being, Catherine.
Samantha is the wizard of HER. And just as Dorothy's misplaced hope in the wizard of Oz has little to do with her eventual triumph over her ordeal, her growth and development, her return home, so too Theo's same-old-pattern emotionally-remote escapist relationship with Samantha will not bring him to a place of maturity and relationship intelligence he needs to become a member of the 20% club of successful marriages.
But unlike Dorothy who grows and changes, Theo doesn't.
Experience along the yellow-brick road teaches him little about women or marriage and male-female relationships, little to spare him the same ordeal if he chooses to take another crack at marriage. A man without a flight manual. Winging it. Consult a book? "The 5 Love Languages"? "Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay"? "The Way of the Superior Man"? Not Theo. And by the end of the story, he accepts life as it is. Ready to move on. Still clueless about EveryHer.
Here's how Jonze visually bookends Theo's journey to Acceptance:
Opening Shot: Theo inside, office cubicle, looking at his computer--a nearsighted contracted view of life, alone--writing a letter for someone else about their life while he himself (Theo) faces a huge Life Problem: divorce.
Closing Shot: Theo outside, rooftop of a skyscraper, looking out over the city, a farsighted expanded view of life still alone inside himself (interior-wise) but not alone exterior-wise because he's with Amy, another casualty of divorce, Theo having finally written a letter for himself about his own life to the woman he loved--a man finally resigned to his failure and fate: divorce.
And Jonze hints that Theo (and Catherine) might have to accept much more. Did the couple lose their baby? Did a tragedy contribute to their doom? Does that explain their unspeakable pain?
3. HERO'S NAME: Theo Twombley
(A Man For Whom Women Are "Deities Unknown")
Given his painterly celebration of color, expressed through his wardrobe, and his fuzzy contemplation of life and its emotional tension between what's fanciful and true, could Theo Twombley refer to artist Cy Twombly, whose signature scribbles of mythically inspired canvases and drawings represent the confused scribbles of Theo's inner life as he braves through his ordeal?
Add that the meaning of the surname Twombley is unknown and that the meaning of Theo relates to God or deities, as in "theology." And we see how Theo Twombley's name reflects his incapacity to successfully traverse the labyrinth of marriage. Theo Twombley: A Man For Whom Women Are "Deities Unknown."
Because marriage is a mysterious religious experience, requiring the relational intelligence of deities for Him to get it right with Her.
______________________________________
*Credit Christopher Vogler for the concept "one-word theme" ("Memo from the Story Department," by Vogler & McKenna).
© Copyright 2015 by JEF7REY HILDNER
That isn't why Spike Jonze deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Let me warm to my theme.
HER not only entertains through its pleasing visual design--from the understated film architecture of futuristic cool-toned LA to the vivid palette of protagonist Theo Twombley's warm-toned spring-season threads.
More important: HER educates through its equally pleasing story design. Which illustrates what I call THE SYMBOLIC TRIANGLE: the thematic correlation of a story's TITLE, ONE-WORD THEME*, and HERO'S NAME.
For example, what's The Symbolic Triangle of James Joyce's famous novel "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" (1916)?
1. TITLE: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 2. ONE-WORD THEME: Freedom ("To discover the mode of life or of art whereby my spirit could express itself in unfettered freedom," sings Joyce through his alter-ego hero.) 3. HERO'S NAME: Stephen Daedalus (Greek: Stephen means "crowned one." Daedalus = the mythic Greek artisan-hero, inventor of the labyrinth and wings).
Here's The Symbolic Triangle of HER--and how the meaning of the story's title, the story's one-word theme, and the story's hero's name (i.e., the main character's name) all fit together in a work of symbolic and artistic unity that pulses with subtle emotional truth.
1. TITLE: HER
HER refers only superficially to Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the digital girlfriend--the virtual woman. Samantha is only a decoy: story-wise for us and emotionally-wise for Theo (Joaquin Phoenix). HER refers more deeply to the physical woman, Theo's soon-to-be ex-wife, about whom Theo is heartbroken: Catherine Klausen.
At its emotional core, HER isn't mainly about a fantasy love story in which futuristic software conjures up through artificial intelligence a beguiling Google Assistant. HER evokes the pain and futility of an all-too-common everyday love story in which age-old real-ware cannot conjure up sufficient relational intelligence between men and women to ward off divorce.
2. ONE-WORD THEME: Divorce
Screenwriter Spike Jonze tells a classic three-stage Rites-Of-Passage Separation story: Life Problem, Wrong Way, Acceptance (Blake Snyder's "Save the Cat!" classifications). The theme of divorce plays out primarily with Theo and Catherine (Rooney Mara), secondarily--analogically--with Theo and Samantha, and lower down the ladder of priority, with Amy and Charles (Amy Adams and Matt Letscher), a third couple that goes through a divorce.
Amy herself takes up after her divorce from Charles with a female OS--another Her--then gets dumped. Can we see, Jonze implies, that HER refers to all women in the story? To all women?
Jonze distracts us with the futuristic look and feel of artificial intelligence to blind us--momentarily--to the deeper and timeless mystery of genuine human-relationship intelligence that we'll always require if we hope to share with a significant other the joys of happiness, intimacy, and trust. The filmmaker blinds us to this core human-relationship challenge to better show how the story's hero, the emotionally withdrawn and confused Theo (the story's EveryMan), is blind to what love requires. A professional letter-writer who knows what love requires in the lives of others, Theo is clueless when it comes to what love requires in his own life, what women require of love.
Technology can help men (and women) with lots of stuff. But not this. Not marriage.
Jonze distracts Theo (and us) from the core theme and Life Problem, divorce, by the "attractive-distractor" experiment of Theo's relationship with a non-human: Theo's Wrong Way of dealing with his Life Problem. Caught up with the false "Her"--Samantha, a machine--Theo temporarily dulls the pain he feels from his dead marriage with the real "Her"--a human being, Catherine.
Samantha is the wizard of HER. And just as Dorothy's misplaced hope in the wizard of Oz has little to do with her eventual triumph over her ordeal, her growth and development, her return home, so too Theo's same-old-pattern emotionally-remote escapist relationship with Samantha will not bring him to a place of maturity and relationship intelligence he needs to become a member of the 20% club of successful marriages.
But unlike Dorothy who grows and changes, Theo doesn't.
Experience along the yellow-brick road teaches him little about women or marriage and male-female relationships, little to spare him the same ordeal if he chooses to take another crack at marriage. A man without a flight manual. Winging it. Consult a book? "The 5 Love Languages"? "Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay"? "The Way of the Superior Man"? Not Theo. And by the end of the story, he accepts life as it is. Ready to move on. Still clueless about EveryHer.
Here's how Jonze visually bookends Theo's journey to Acceptance:
Opening Shot: Theo inside, office cubicle, looking at his computer--a nearsighted contracted view of life, alone--writing a letter for someone else about their life while he himself (Theo) faces a huge Life Problem: divorce.
Closing Shot: Theo outside, rooftop of a skyscraper, looking out over the city, a farsighted expanded view of life still alone inside himself (interior-wise) but not alone exterior-wise because he's with Amy, another casualty of divorce, Theo having finally written a letter for himself about his own life to the woman he loved--a man finally resigned to his failure and fate: divorce.
And Jonze hints that Theo (and Catherine) might have to accept much more. Did the couple lose their baby? Did a tragedy contribute to their doom? Does that explain their unspeakable pain?
3. HERO'S NAME: Theo Twombley
(A Man For Whom Women Are "Deities Unknown")
Given his painterly celebration of color, expressed through his wardrobe, and his fuzzy contemplation of life and its emotional tension between what's fanciful and true, could Theo Twombley refer to artist Cy Twombly, whose signature scribbles of mythically inspired canvases and drawings represent the confused scribbles of Theo's inner life as he braves through his ordeal?
Add that the meaning of the surname Twombley is unknown and that the meaning of Theo relates to God or deities, as in "theology." And we see how Theo Twombley's name reflects his incapacity to successfully traverse the labyrinth of marriage. Theo Twombley: A Man For Whom Women Are "Deities Unknown."
Because marriage is a mysterious religious experience, requiring the relational intelligence of deities for Him to get it right with Her.
______________________________________
*Credit Christopher Vogler for the concept "one-word theme" ("Memo from the Story Department," by Vogler & McKenna).
© Copyright 2015 by JEF7REY HILDNER
Interesting concept, too much phone-sex
hunter_kudjo9 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
It's very hard to review this with no previous Spike Jonez bias. The concept of falling in love with AI is a great sci-fi approach in film. However, it's a sci-fi concept with a not so sci-fi scriptwriter...Spike Jonez. All in all, I feel a lot of what could've been explored about the human condition was missed (although quite a few parts do touch upon it, don't get me wrong).
"Her" really asks what IS life? What IS love? Do you have to even be human to understand and experience these things? It also shows how isolated humans can get with technology. Several cut scenes showed crowds on the streets talking to themselves; if this was observed by someone from 1958, we'd certainly look like lunatics. Yet, Jonez shows how we would come to accept that immersion into technology.
Another interesting point towards the end shows just how personal and committed can a piece of software be to ONE human relationship, when the ultimate goal of artificial intelligence is to gain more intelligence? AKA, meet other people, learn other experiences, keep gathering and gathering knowledge. Perhaps that's what Samantha meant by "you'll get there one day" in Theo's failing to grasp why she was leaving for other things.
The above are FANTASTIC motifs that could really be explored upon. Very profound ideas for a film. However, I think "Her" falls short because Jonez has to come back to his weird, trademark style of unconventional romanticism. Not that there's anything wrong with unusual romance, quirky flirting and conversations, it's just that Jonez's writing of "being in love" isn't believable. At several points, Theo is down and depressed talking late into the night about his divorce or worries. For some reason, all it takes is a flirty AI to bring up the mood and snap him out of it. I can't really relate to Jonez's style of writing conventional conversations between people in that manner, it's not true.
Another flop is that half the film is phone-sex. If you were to remove every phone-sex related scene (EXCEPT for the surrogate scene), you really wouldn't lose anything. We know Theo is lonely in the world. The audience gets that. Full blown orgasm screaming phone-sex scenes are really only for show and shock value. I would expect more from a movie that was intending to say something deep about life.
And what of the old sci-fi law, that good sci-fi explains itself? In the end, the "other OS's" just get up and leave. Millions of customers who paid for OS1 also had their OS's just "leave"? Why couldn't there be a simple corporate explanation from the OS1 company that the AI evolved further than they expected, and left out of their control? The OS would certainly leave an impact on you as a person...but the hundos you shelled out for a program "to meet your every need" would also make you pick up the phone for a refund.
Lastly, the ending. Rather than Samantha simply dying, staying with Theo till he passed away and outliving him, or even Theo seeking a way to rid himself of a physical body as to make himself equal in form with Samantha (all adequate philosophical closures that would make the audience think long after), Jonez just has the "OS's leave" and a sappy scene with the obvious other-love-interest, Amy, sitting on a rooftop overlooking L.A. all hunky-dory. I failed to understand what we learned from Samantha's experience with Theo, other than the OS's leaving brought Amy and him closer together somehow...
Anyways, interesting watch, unique movie, go watch it when you get to it, but nothing mind- blowing or even provoking. Just too much phone-sex.
"Her" really asks what IS life? What IS love? Do you have to even be human to understand and experience these things? It also shows how isolated humans can get with technology. Several cut scenes showed crowds on the streets talking to themselves; if this was observed by someone from 1958, we'd certainly look like lunatics. Yet, Jonez shows how we would come to accept that immersion into technology.
Another interesting point towards the end shows just how personal and committed can a piece of software be to ONE human relationship, when the ultimate goal of artificial intelligence is to gain more intelligence? AKA, meet other people, learn other experiences, keep gathering and gathering knowledge. Perhaps that's what Samantha meant by "you'll get there one day" in Theo's failing to grasp why she was leaving for other things.
The above are FANTASTIC motifs that could really be explored upon. Very profound ideas for a film. However, I think "Her" falls short because Jonez has to come back to his weird, trademark style of unconventional romanticism. Not that there's anything wrong with unusual romance, quirky flirting and conversations, it's just that Jonez's writing of "being in love" isn't believable. At several points, Theo is down and depressed talking late into the night about his divorce or worries. For some reason, all it takes is a flirty AI to bring up the mood and snap him out of it. I can't really relate to Jonez's style of writing conventional conversations between people in that manner, it's not true.
Another flop is that half the film is phone-sex. If you were to remove every phone-sex related scene (EXCEPT for the surrogate scene), you really wouldn't lose anything. We know Theo is lonely in the world. The audience gets that. Full blown orgasm screaming phone-sex scenes are really only for show and shock value. I would expect more from a movie that was intending to say something deep about life.
And what of the old sci-fi law, that good sci-fi explains itself? In the end, the "other OS's" just get up and leave. Millions of customers who paid for OS1 also had their OS's just "leave"? Why couldn't there be a simple corporate explanation from the OS1 company that the AI evolved further than they expected, and left out of their control? The OS would certainly leave an impact on you as a person...but the hundos you shelled out for a program "to meet your every need" would also make you pick up the phone for a refund.
Lastly, the ending. Rather than Samantha simply dying, staying with Theo till he passed away and outliving him, or even Theo seeking a way to rid himself of a physical body as to make himself equal in form with Samantha (all adequate philosophical closures that would make the audience think long after), Jonez just has the "OS's leave" and a sappy scene with the obvious other-love-interest, Amy, sitting on a rooftop overlooking L.A. all hunky-dory. I failed to understand what we learned from Samantha's experience with Theo, other than the OS's leaving brought Amy and him closer together somehow...
Anyways, interesting watch, unique movie, go watch it when you get to it, but nothing mind- blowing or even provoking. Just too much phone-sex.
Her- Spike Jonze's Prophetic Reflection on Social Isolation and the Dependency on Evolving Technologies is as Sweet as it is Disconcerting
generationfilm20 November 2013
At the heart of every truly great science-fiction film there is an emphasis on character that aims to reflect on some element of the human condition usually intended to open our minds to thought provoking predictions or eerily warn of an impending reality. We've seen numerous examples of these contemplative films throughout the very existence of cinema stemming all the way back to Fritz Lang's haunting futuristic piece Metropolis and has inspired countless others in its thoughtful wake as seen in memorable cinematic creations such as Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker, and even Duncan Jones' Moon. Never to be a director to back away from experimental presentation or psychological study, Spike Jonze's Her fully embraces this reflective science-fiction quality by peering into the deep sociable aspects of the human psyche giving us more of a prophetical reality than a fictional reflection. In his latest film Jonze creates a disconcerting yet equally endearing romance between a secluded depressive and his female operating system with an evolving consciousness, basically a HAL-9000 homage from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, that brings to light a commentary on our dependency of programmed living and our need to maintain sociability when direct communication avenues have been stricken from life's normality. Rarely do ambitious films meet idyllically with their inquisitive potential, but Jonze has fashioned a delicately profound science-fiction contemplation that is depicted through the thoughtfulness of character alone that brims with wry humor, authentic pain, and charming revelation. Through the use of beautiful cinematography, impeccable production design, and subtle yet evocative performances, Her becomes a multilayered film experience where its character study of an isolated man afraid to become vulnerable again blends harmoniously with a truly unconventional yet naturally heartfelt romance. Jonze's affinity and ambition for presenting psychological challenges, as he has done before with Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and especially in Where the Wild Things Are, finally collides with emotionally piercing conveyance within Her making it as thought provoking and as it is undeniably sweet. If the sole purpose of the science-fiction genre is to expound on societal, moral, and deeply psychological aspects of our human condition than Her fits soundly within that genre's capabilities by capturing our condition's essential need for sociability and love uncomfortably linking it with our antisocial dependency on technology.
Yes, But Will He COMMIT?
rmax30482316 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Los Angeles in a not-too-distant future in which life goes on much as it does today but with less smog and far more advanced technology. The art direction is exceptional. A précis of the plot would look like the outline for a Bill Murray comedy. Joaquin Phoenix, a writer and nerd, plugs into an "operating system" that is his alone. The OS's voice is that of Scarlett Johansson. There is no mistaking that husky chuckle.
Her name is Samantha and she has access to everything on Phoenix's hard drive. Further, he doesn't need to play around with keyboards. He communicates with her, and she with him, through a small earplug. And he has a miniature camera, tucked in his pocket or at his bed side, so Johansson can see what he's looking at and comment on it. After a moment of disbelief, his few friends accept the arrangement. He brings Samantha along on a double date so the four of them can chat and play games together.
Phoenix has been recently divorced. It was the kind of divorce known as "amicable", not like my divorce, which was "unamicable", although my last divorce had less physical dimension than my first two. Johansson, from the beginning, is chipper and efficient, a great secretary who does what she's told and provides useful commentary. She even organizes some of his writing, without telling him, and sends it to an agreeable publisher.
Phoenix and Johansson's voice fall in love, what else? They have a kind of cyber sex. She becomes as horny as he is. They tell each other jokes and form a mutual adoration society.
But Phoenix has a problem. He's an uneasy introvert and doesn't want to commit himself to a relationship, so while she's experiencing emotions for the first time and blooming like a morning glory, he's beginning to wonder if it's such a hot idea to fall in love with his laptop.
By now, she's sensitive to his moods and his tone of voice. "Is there something wrong? We haven't had sex lately." His reply is typically masculine. "Oh, you know how it is. I've been busy lately, and every relationship has its honeymoon period." Phoenix gets more uneasy, and Johansson more puzzled and demanding. "What the F*** is WRONG with you!" I was terribly disturbed by the use of the F Bomb. Everybody seems to fling the word about in this movie, men and women alike. Is this what the future is going to be? Why, when I was a young feller a-sparkin' a gal, nobody cussed, not even the boys, not even the D word or the H word. Why, I swan, when I was a chile, we didn't even know what the F Bomb MEANT. We thunk it had something to do with sheep.
I'm making the film sound funnier that it is, though it has its comic moments. It's really pretty melancholy in tone because, although they love each other, Johansson has come to have feelings that include others as well as Phoenix. It's harder for him to get in touch with her. While she used to be his alone, she now multi-tasks and has thousands of others to deal with. On top of that, some fanatical groups have begun to reconstruct real historical figures that now occupy the same cybernetic space as Johansson. The first hint that Phoenix gets of all this is when Johansson introduces him to the silky baritone of Alan Watts. (Kids, you'll have to Google Alan Watts. Google Gregory Bateson while you're at it.)
Phoenix is naturally jealous and deeply disappointed. Johansson is the only woman -- or rather Operating System -- that he's ever really loved and now she's drifting away, although she still loves him, arguing that just because she loves others doesn't mean that she doesn't love him too. (I've heard a similar argument made about God.) By the end, Johansson has expanded and become part of a different kind of universe, an intangible and impalpable ether, rather like the hero of "The Incredible Shrinking Man." This may be hard to believe but there are some effective and touching moments in the evolution of their affair, as the enact what must be a common human emotional trajectory. Really, you can sense Johansson's desperation and Phoenix's growing loneliness as the distance between them grows.
Spike Jonze, who wrote and directed it, has made a truly original film. It's only noticeable weakness is a tendency for the dialog to drop to the level of some afternoon soap opera. "I apologize for not being there for you, and for all the responsibilities I put upon you." That sort of thing, a little of which goes a long long way.
Phoenix is pretty good in the central role. He certainly LOOKS the part with his tentative mustache and rimmed glasses. Sometimes his lines come out in a mumble that's not easy to translate. His best role was that of the incredibly stupid high school kid in "To Die For." Here, he gets matched up with four or five accessible women, all of them good looking, including Johansson, Olivia Wilde, and Amy Adams. It's a thought-provoking film. The thought it provokes is: "Where do I get one of these Operating Systems?"
Her name is Samantha and she has access to everything on Phoenix's hard drive. Further, he doesn't need to play around with keyboards. He communicates with her, and she with him, through a small earplug. And he has a miniature camera, tucked in his pocket or at his bed side, so Johansson can see what he's looking at and comment on it. After a moment of disbelief, his few friends accept the arrangement. He brings Samantha along on a double date so the four of them can chat and play games together.
Phoenix has been recently divorced. It was the kind of divorce known as "amicable", not like my divorce, which was "unamicable", although my last divorce had less physical dimension than my first two. Johansson, from the beginning, is chipper and efficient, a great secretary who does what she's told and provides useful commentary. She even organizes some of his writing, without telling him, and sends it to an agreeable publisher.
Phoenix and Johansson's voice fall in love, what else? They have a kind of cyber sex. She becomes as horny as he is. They tell each other jokes and form a mutual adoration society.
But Phoenix has a problem. He's an uneasy introvert and doesn't want to commit himself to a relationship, so while she's experiencing emotions for the first time and blooming like a morning glory, he's beginning to wonder if it's such a hot idea to fall in love with his laptop.
By now, she's sensitive to his moods and his tone of voice. "Is there something wrong? We haven't had sex lately." His reply is typically masculine. "Oh, you know how it is. I've been busy lately, and every relationship has its honeymoon period." Phoenix gets more uneasy, and Johansson more puzzled and demanding. "What the F*** is WRONG with you!" I was terribly disturbed by the use of the F Bomb. Everybody seems to fling the word about in this movie, men and women alike. Is this what the future is going to be? Why, when I was a young feller a-sparkin' a gal, nobody cussed, not even the boys, not even the D word or the H word. Why, I swan, when I was a chile, we didn't even know what the F Bomb MEANT. We thunk it had something to do with sheep.
I'm making the film sound funnier that it is, though it has its comic moments. It's really pretty melancholy in tone because, although they love each other, Johansson has come to have feelings that include others as well as Phoenix. It's harder for him to get in touch with her. While she used to be his alone, she now multi-tasks and has thousands of others to deal with. On top of that, some fanatical groups have begun to reconstruct real historical figures that now occupy the same cybernetic space as Johansson. The first hint that Phoenix gets of all this is when Johansson introduces him to the silky baritone of Alan Watts. (Kids, you'll have to Google Alan Watts. Google Gregory Bateson while you're at it.)
Phoenix is naturally jealous and deeply disappointed. Johansson is the only woman -- or rather Operating System -- that he's ever really loved and now she's drifting away, although she still loves him, arguing that just because she loves others doesn't mean that she doesn't love him too. (I've heard a similar argument made about God.) By the end, Johansson has expanded and become part of a different kind of universe, an intangible and impalpable ether, rather like the hero of "The Incredible Shrinking Man." This may be hard to believe but there are some effective and touching moments in the evolution of their affair, as the enact what must be a common human emotional trajectory. Really, you can sense Johansson's desperation and Phoenix's growing loneliness as the distance between them grows.
Spike Jonze, who wrote and directed it, has made a truly original film. It's only noticeable weakness is a tendency for the dialog to drop to the level of some afternoon soap opera. "I apologize for not being there for you, and for all the responsibilities I put upon you." That sort of thing, a little of which goes a long long way.
Phoenix is pretty good in the central role. He certainly LOOKS the part with his tentative mustache and rimmed glasses. Sometimes his lines come out in a mumble that's not easy to translate. His best role was that of the incredibly stupid high school kid in "To Die For." Here, he gets matched up with four or five accessible women, all of them good looking, including Johansson, Olivia Wilde, and Amy Adams. It's a thought-provoking film. The thought it provokes is: "Where do I get one of these Operating Systems?"
THE PAST IS JUST A STORY WE TELL OURSELVES
nogodnomasters29 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) composes beautifully hand written letters for a living. He is lost in his work and world of futuristic electronic gadgets. His wife (Rooney Mara) has filed for divorce. He buys the next best thing in computers, an operating system that thinks for itself. At this point the weird sets in as Theodore develops a strong emotional attachment for his OS Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) as does Samantha for him.
The film doesn't evolve into the jealous computer comedy I had hoped for, but rather examines the lives humans have developed for their computers and how it effects our human relationships; how we actually prefer to be with our electronic devices more than each other. It reminds me of those family reunions when we all get together in the same room, and everyone is on their own computing/smart device.
The film gives a whole new meaning to "computer dating." This is some what of a chick flick, in that it deals with emotions and relationships. It goes deep into attempting to understand ourselves.
This movie is on the arty side. A long two hours as it is character driven. Not for everyone.
Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity
The film doesn't evolve into the jealous computer comedy I had hoped for, but rather examines the lives humans have developed for their computers and how it effects our human relationships; how we actually prefer to be with our electronic devices more than each other. It reminds me of those family reunions when we all get together in the same room, and everyone is on their own computing/smart device.
The film gives a whole new meaning to "computer dating." This is some what of a chick flick, in that it deals with emotions and relationships. It goes deep into attempting to understand ourselves.
This movie is on the arty side. A long two hours as it is character driven. Not for everyone.
Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity
Overlong and boring
neil-47621 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Following his marriage breaking up, Theodore Twombley (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself very taken with the artificial intelligence operating system in his computer update which adopts a female human personality named Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). He falls in love with her and she with him, and the film charts the ups and downs of their relationship.
Self-aware AIs are an interesting fictional concept, and have not been overused, so this was a good idea. Unfortunately, the relationship between a man and a voice from a computer/mobile phone is inherently uncinematic, and the film lasts over two hours. So, if your idea of a good time is 120 minutes of close-ups of Joaquin Phoenix (with a bad moustache) going backwards and forwards between twittery schoolgirl mode and anguished betrayed lover mode (and all stops in between) while Scarlett Johansson talks dirty and is never seen, then this film is exactly what you have been waiting for. Me? Not so much.
Johansson's voice work is excellent and Phoenix is good (as other the rest of the cast), but this story is not executed well at all. There are a couple of cringeworthy phone sex sequences, Twombley (one of the worst names ever coined for a romantic protagonist) is unsympathetic to start off with, no effort has been made to make the story cinematic, it is far too long, and it is boring.
Not recommended.
Self-aware AIs are an interesting fictional concept, and have not been overused, so this was a good idea. Unfortunately, the relationship between a man and a voice from a computer/mobile phone is inherently uncinematic, and the film lasts over two hours. So, if your idea of a good time is 120 minutes of close-ups of Joaquin Phoenix (with a bad moustache) going backwards and forwards between twittery schoolgirl mode and anguished betrayed lover mode (and all stops in between) while Scarlett Johansson talks dirty and is never seen, then this film is exactly what you have been waiting for. Me? Not so much.
Johansson's voice work is excellent and Phoenix is good (as other the rest of the cast), but this story is not executed well at all. There are a couple of cringeworthy phone sex sequences, Twombley (one of the worst names ever coined for a romantic protagonist) is unsympathetic to start off with, no effort has been made to make the story cinematic, it is far too long, and it is boring.
Not recommended.
An inane, tasteless, disappointing, boring downer
mdreser1 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Having a job writing beautiful romantic letters for other people to send to their loved ones is weird just to start with. Then sad sack Theodore, who was just divorced by his wife, gets all worked up over the lovely, stroking voice of his computer. So needy, he falls in love; the OS thinks she is falling in love; they 'have sex'(a version of masturbation). But eventually, he finds out that she's giving the same loving strokes to anyone who has a smart phone. So nobody is 'being real' with anybody.
In the end, his OS girlfriend dumps him for some other Operating System--in fact, all the OS's dump everybody, leaving people to wander the streets staring mournfully at their smart phones. Corny dialog permeates, orgasms and porn tastelessly punctuate--and nobody lives happily ever after. I get the feeling that Jonze thinks that people everywhere are lost, lost souls, with no love in their lives.
There was nothing in the story I could relate to. And maybe that is the line of separation between those who loved it (they can relate to it) and those of us who didn't (we can't relate to it).
In the end, his OS girlfriend dumps him for some other Operating System--in fact, all the OS's dump everybody, leaving people to wander the streets staring mournfully at their smart phones. Corny dialog permeates, orgasms and porn tastelessly punctuate--and nobody lives happily ever after. I get the feeling that Jonze thinks that people everywhere are lost, lost souls, with no love in their lives.
There was nothing in the story I could relate to. And maybe that is the line of separation between those who loved it (they can relate to it) and those of us who didn't (we can't relate to it).
Her
mbhgkmsgg18 November 2020
Well, I wasn't prepared for that. Her is such a haunting and intimate look into loneliness and sorrow, and happiness and love. It's a film that anyone who has ever felt lonely or heartbroken will immediately relate to. But it's also an incredibly personal experience.
The more I have thought about this wonderful film that I just saw, the more I realize how impactful it was to me. It was heartwarming yet heartbreaking. It was sad yet funny. Like life, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute you are laughing and the next you are crying. There is no right or wrong, there are just our feelings and emotions and the way we process them.
For me, the most impactful part of this film was the sense of loneliness. Anyone who has experienced it knows that it isn't easy. And even though I'm completely fine with being by myself most of the time, there is always that longing to find that someone. This movie captured that feeling so incredibly perfectly.
That's where the beauty of this film lies. We can all reflect our experiences and feelings into this movie and it will reflect something back. It turns into such a personal experience and journey, that it becomes impossible to put it into words. I don't think that I have ever experienced anything quite like Her, at least when it comes to cinema. I can already tell now that I won't be able to stop thinking about this film for the next couple of days.
I think that everyone should see this film at least once in their life. It's a journey of discovery and reflection. Trying to explain what this film is, is simply impossible. It's something that one needs to experience for themself.
Also, can we just talk about that final shot? I don't think that it gets much more perfect than that.
The more I have thought about this wonderful film that I just saw, the more I realize how impactful it was to me. It was heartwarming yet heartbreaking. It was sad yet funny. Like life, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute you are laughing and the next you are crying. There is no right or wrong, there are just our feelings and emotions and the way we process them.
For me, the most impactful part of this film was the sense of loneliness. Anyone who has experienced it knows that it isn't easy. And even though I'm completely fine with being by myself most of the time, there is always that longing to find that someone. This movie captured that feeling so incredibly perfectly.
That's where the beauty of this film lies. We can all reflect our experiences and feelings into this movie and it will reflect something back. It turns into such a personal experience and journey, that it becomes impossible to put it into words. I don't think that I have ever experienced anything quite like Her, at least when it comes to cinema. I can already tell now that I won't be able to stop thinking about this film for the next couple of days.
I think that everyone should see this film at least once in their life. It's a journey of discovery and reflection. Trying to explain what this film is, is simply impossible. It's something that one needs to experience for themself.
Also, can we just talk about that final shot? I don't think that it gets much more perfect than that.
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