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| Her - Warner Bros Runtime: 119 minutes Directed by Spike Jonze Written by Spike Jonze |
By Nate Davis
Spike Jonze’s “Her” is the riskiest and most fervent film of the year. There are so many instances throughout the two hours where this unorthodox love story could fail, but it resists inclinations to become facetious. Instead we are treated to something real, raw and full of genuine emotion. Perhaps the greatest achievement attained in this feature is its refusal to feel ashamed and in turn allows us to applaud its bravery.
We are introduced in the first scene to Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), who works for a sort of outsourcing writing firm, BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com. He is one of many employees who provides personal correspondence for customers to their loved ones - similar to Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character in “(500) Days of Summer” yet approached in a more sincere way. Theodore has been separated from his soon to be ex-wife Catherine (Rooney Mara), but it is obvious he is still not ready to deal with the breakup emotionally or legally. He spends his time mostly avoiding others, with his only interaction between his friend Amy (Amy Adams) where he converses with her in the elevator, and a video game character that is a foul-mouthed blue alien in a video game that could be the genetic mutated offspring of the Pillsbury Doughboy.
Set in the not-so-distant future of Los Angeles, Theodore comes across an advertisement for the newest smartphone of the time, an advanced operating system (OS). The gadget is only a voice, which names itself Samantha. The OS is the anthropomorphized voice of the Scarlett Johansson, who is present every moment from here on out in this film without making a visual appearance. Samantha’s personality is intoxicating - particularly enhanced by the smoldering voice of Johansson - but not initially in a sexual way. She is curious to discover, as she tell Theodore she evolves with the more information and experiences she receives. However, the relationship bubbles to the point where Theodore falls in love with Samantha and vice-versa.
Like many of Jonze’s previous films (“Adaptation,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” and “Being John Malkovich”) “Her” focuses on the protagonist dealing with his emotions in an unconventional way, although in this instance it is more smooth than his earlier work. Perhaps the film is not as erratic due to the fact Jonze was the writer as well on this project, whereas he directed the eccentric scripts written by Charlie Kaufman in his first two features. It is quite obvious Jonze has been influenced by one of the great writers of our time. Branded as a comedy, “Her” doesn’t look for laughs by making fun of the situation, as most other people in this world begin to accept the OS-human relationship. It is a science fiction film where the science isn’t the overseer of the humans or the narrative, like Hal 9000 in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The film doesn’t seize the easy opportunity to comment on the role of technology in our world and how we are becoming more and more attached to it, pushing us closer to the singularity. Rather, this is a story about love, and the quest and need for it in our increasingly isolated lives.
Phoenix is wonderful as Theodore. His performance is both sad and funny as we see scenes of him trying to interact with the outside world - whether it be lonely phone sex sessions or going out on a date and getting drunk with a woman who is pushing for commitment. Jonze is risking as much as Theodore is by diving into this quest for love with an OS - as Theodore’s ex-wife points out bluntly “he’s dating his laptop.” Amy Adams’ performance as Theodore’s only friend is so far removed from her role in “American Hustle” as a con-artist, we hardly recognize her. She is vulnerable - as is Theodore - as she has a hard time showing her expression via her chosen medium, documentary filmmaking. Amy and Theodore are both in a state of misery, and both engage with their own OS in a way that makes us smile, because although they question if the relationships are real, their happiness from them is without a doubt authentic.
The narrative unravels like a traditional love story, as Samantha and Theodore have their ups and downs. The world Jonze has created shows us our isolation as individuals in society, but he doesn’t disapprove or applaud. As Samantha grows and evolves into a different version of her self every second, we wonder how this relationship can continue. Easy to see looking on from the outside, but we all have a very intimate relationship with our technological devices these days, and once you look at your smartphone while walking out of the theater you might wonder how precious it is to you.
