Review: Her

In an episode of Friends, Rachel finds a mobile phone she believes belongs to a hot guy. She suggests he might call his phone, starting a “fairytale for the digital age.” In reality, Her is the fairytale for the digital age. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is struggling with loneliness following his separation from  wife Catherine (Rooney Mara). He purchases an artificially intelligent operating system, designed to evolve over time. The operating system calls herself Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) and rapidly adapts to the real world. Gradually Theodore opens up and starts to fall in love with Samantha.

Her was a surprise nominee for Best Picture this year. It completely deserves the recognition as it is expertly acted and directed, but many firmly believed it was more Sundance than Hollywood. It lacks the over the top fanfare of most Oscar nominees, favouring a more offbeat approach which doesn’t traditionally win over the Academy.

The story is both modern and timeless. The film reflects something unique about our technology fuelled lifestyle. As I write this, I have tabs open for Facebook and Tumblr as well as my phone next to me (although only my mum ever texts me so that doesn’t count). Most of our interactions are filtered through the internet. In that way, the premise is not quite as ridiculous as it may sound. Theodore doesn’t put a wig on his laptop or make out with his iphone on the bus. He isn’t a crazed sex pervert with a fetish for keyboards. He  talks to someone who has a voice, a personality and a life that doesn’t involve him. Sure, there are awkward moments as the pair try different ways to have “sex” but for the most part Theodore’s actions aren’t all that different from the way most of us already behave.

At the core, it’s simply about a lonely guy who struggles to connect with people. That theme runs through dozens of romantic films over the decades. It just so happens that our protagonist chooses to connect with an artificial intelligence rather than an actual person. Purchasing a date from the Apple store is a lot easier than finding one in real life, believe me. The emotions aren’t any less real than any other couple. We feel Theodore’s sadness as he copes with his divorce and we root for him as he realises there is hope because of his love for Samantha. There is passion, jealousy, joy and every other emotion you feel during a normal relationship. It’s a testament to Spike Jonze’s writing  that he crafted such a beautiful bond between two characters who never actually meet.

Every generation has a film which summarises their thoughts and fears. As Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times summed up the fear of mass production and the industrialised world of the pre-War period, Her captures the lack of intimacy in our modern world and the all encompassing reach of technology. It seems like an odd premise, but the story is timeless and easy to relate to thanks to Joaquin’s everyman persona. To be honest, if my operating system had the same husky voice as Scarlett Johansson then I might fall in love too.

Image courtesy of huffingtonpost.com and screenrant.com