her
when virtual love takes over real love
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. 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.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.
In a future world, one in which an Operating System can bridge all equipments, the main character, Theodore Twombly, is just about a year living by himself after a marriage separation. Working on a job which he loved so much, writing customized letters, He fell in and out of relationships. One day Theo came across a new Operating System, OS1, which is essentially an AI butler but with highly advanced adaptive intelligence which enables it to learn and somewhat be human.'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.
The relationship of Theo and Samantha, the persona of his personalized OS1, is then evolved into a romantic one, which is becoming a growing trend amongst the AI OS users. Yet, being a person without any physical manifestation, Samantha and Theo's relationship soon meet it's inevitable and quirky dramatic consequences.
Even without any AI, many people, males especially are going literally socially acceptably insane by marrying inanimate objects for real. How can you describe car craziness of western world ?
The overriding message that love cannot be defined lineally, that two people who connect initially can grow apart due to different rates of evolution among the pairing and that love is a constantly evolving concept that operates beyond the reams of stagnation is a theme that resonates immensely due to just how superbly well it's driven home and represented within the boundaries the film sets - of which there aren't many, much like the concept of love itself. Love has no definition other than the definition we create for ourselves on an individual level and to expect everyone to fall in-line with that definition - even those we make our partners - is to expect the impossible. The film brilliantly tackles this throughout.
As a love story, it provides the kind of perspective Hollywood had seemingly long since lost; almost completely devoid of cinematic cliché and full of natural verve and a very real look at the connection made on a level beyond the physicality of body and the physicality of carefully constructed monologues. The falling of Phoenix for Johansson is subtle, but feels so entirely natural that by the midpoint of the film - even without being the lonely soul Phoenix is - you can absolutely believe and totally accept why, not only this guy, but you yourself, have fallen for all that Johansson portrays as an outlet of desire.
The script. 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 how they work. In my opinion, more so 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.
Cinematography. the extreme close up 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.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 Hoyte van Hoytema who did a really great job.
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.
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.
Sure the whole concept of having a relationship with an AI partner is not really an original one. If we really delve into it, the relationship between Planton and Karen, his ECG monitor manifested computer AI, in Nickleodeon's Spongebob Squarepants was the first to ever incorporate this concept. But 'Her' brought the concept into a more realistic enactment.And yes, Her's realization of the concept isn't really taking into account the developments in the real world. Such developments may include improvements in the robotic sectors. I see that those developments are intentionally omitted from Her's world to emphasize the point of Samantha not being able to have a physical manifestation, a body.
As a science fiction piece, it garners itself an even greater standing, exploring themes of the physical and the metaphysical spheres, way beyond what's generally comprehensible within the scope of humanity. That the film manages this through subtext, without compromising the driving, surface level pretext of love, is a victory the likes of which may only really be properly appreciated in the years to come.
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. Watch and fall in love with Her !!!
