A Profoundly Moving Romance Betwixt Human and Machine

Spike Jonze captures true love and painful separation with his sci-fi romance drama Her (2013). Jonze directed and wrote the most original and grounded piece of science-fiction I've seen in ages. Her brings Jonze's loving direction of intimate moments between a lonely man and a curious AI. Jonze captures realistic relationship moments with every scene despite the unusual pairing with his depictions of divorce, romance, sex, dating, bonding, and especially conversing. Her is simply a remarkable film of deep emotional connections displayed against clean distant future society. Joaquin Phoenix is remarkable at conveying complex emotions with his subtle facial gestures and distinct vocal mannerisms. His genuine emotional performance is complemented by his nuance driven appearance as the nerdy indie hipster Theodore Twombly that desperately desires affection. Phoenix is so sincere that you believe this brave new world surrounding him. Phoenix was supremely creepy in Gladiator and imposing and depressing in You Were Never Really Here, but Her captures Phoenix at his most vulnerable and intimate. Joaquin Phoenix transforms himself into a weathered man of open mind and aching heart. Her features several amazing supporting roles. Notably, Scarlett Johansson does more with her voice in Her as the OS Samantha's vocal personality than most actresses will do in their entire careers. Then, Amy Adams is so sweet and sympathetic as the kindly neighbor Amy. Her hurt is displayed in her gentle eyes and trembling voice. Adams is enchanting and likable, while constantly striving and achieving a sublime radiance. Amy Adams is a resonate actress that I will always love and appreciate. On the other hand, I continue to grow more appreciative towards Rooney Mara. Her blunt and genuine emotional performance as Catherine gives Her the gut punch it needed. Mara feels like the outsider of emotions as we mostly see her in Phoenix's flashbacks, then when she appears she is stunned by Theodore's disposition and further drives a complex wedge into the narrative. Mara does a similar brilliant lambaste in The Social Network as she is the perfect critic, while the ultimate sweetheart in Carol. I think Mara expands her range with both attributes in Her as the fun girlfriend, upset wife, and the disappointed ex. Furthermore, Olivia Wilde is engaging as Theodore's fun date that turns into a hurtful reprimand of his whole persona. Wilde is mesmerizing, then horrifying just in the two scenes she inhabits. I must mention that Her contains my favorite acting role from Chris Pratt as the friendly co-worker and cool friend figure to Theodore named Paul. Pratt pulls back and restrains himself from excessive talking, and instead, opts for a more quiet genuine character. He is quite likable and interesting in Her. Spike Jonze asks us many important and intriguing questions as we watch Her. His script is full of careful conversations of gentle bonding and quiet torment for his characters that feel such a relentless anguish over their relationships. Jonze's writing gives us humorous jokes, sweet exchanges, and shocking revelations. I appreciate Jonze trying to contemplate on the ethics and consequences of OS relationships and the how we engage with artificial intelligence. Her forces us to imagine how the world would look like with everyone tapped into their phones and virtual assistants without connecting to other people. Are the OS's people if they feel emotions or do they just emulate human feelings? Her begs us to consider the ramifications of AI's with the ability to adapt to human interaction and develop real feelings. It is a difficult question to answer and one we will likely consider going forward with ever progressing technology. I think that, at least, Her responds to these questions with the heartfelt assertion that OS can experience real feelings and that AI has the potential to adapt to someone akin to a human with a depth of consciousness. Their awareness and feelings are the significant trait that makes AI real to us and worthy of respect . Not since Stanley Kubrick's 2001 and HAL have I thought about AI on such a complex level. Surprisingly, the romance bits are tender without physical intimacy, but with a genuine sense of loving sensation through realistic dialogue and authentic visuals. Speaking of visuals, Hoyte van Hoytema's cinematography captures the stunning grace of tomorrow's world. Jonze envisions a society of indie clothes, sleek technology, distant figures, and massive skyscrapers. Hoytema captures all this with his camera work with gorgeous still wide shots enveloping the characters and their feelings against empty spaces and the absent people. The majority of Her is just Joaquin Phoenix talking to Scarlett Johansson by himself, so Hoytema is impressive for making Her dynamic visually engaging.Read full review

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