HER (2013)

Rating: 4.7/5 stars

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix (Theodore), Scarlett Johansson (Samantha), Amy Adams (Amy), Rooney Mara (Catherine), Chris Pratt (Paul)

Directed and Written by: Spike Jonze

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had an interest in science fiction and the kind of advancements that only we can make as human beings, specifically the technological ones. Her is one of the few films that not only entertains the idea of what our future might look like, it plunges you into that future and swallows you whole. With love, loss, and the question of “what does it really mean to be human?”, Her is the movie with the most.

Directed by Spike Jonze, Her is rated R for mild exposure and sexual content. Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore, a mild mannered man whom I felt instantly at home with. He is soft spoken, but yet he has so much to say that leaves your heart yearning for more. The film is set in a future Fresh out of his (almost) divorce from his ex-wife Catherine, Theodore finds solace in a state of the art artificially intelligent operating system whom names “herself”, Samantha. This brand new operating system is advertised not only as a personal assistant, but a personal companion; an “intuitive entity that listens to you, understands you, and knows you.” Unlike the Amazon “Alexa” of today, Samantha is not only extremely easy to talk to but funny, and at times even sultry. It’s easy to see why Theodore inevitably falls for her, and Jonze does an incredible job of making this relationship not only seem natural, but naturally perfect for Theodore and his personality type.

As Theodore and Samantha’s relationship deepens, we also uncover some of Theodore’s past as he reminisces about his days with Catherine. The flashbacks are warm with melancholy overtones. However, Samantha seems to lift Theodore out of the ashes (ha, get it, Joaquin Phoenix) and revitalizes his lease on life. There are several scenes in the film that are gorgeously scenic, and in many it’s almost as if you can see Samantha walking beside him in the shot. Their relationship goes beyond the physical into what may be one of the purest forms of love that you can’t help but root for.

It’s amazing what we can learn about being human from something that isn’t even human at all. Humanity thrives because we are constantly looking for something new. We yearn to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, to feel things which we have never felt. By that definition, even without a body, Scarlett Johansson paints a picture of what it means to be human: to never stop asking questions, and to never stop trying to be better than you were the moment before. The most intriguing idea of this film is that Samantha is no more complex than the average human. Her advantage is that she doesn’t have a body; she is not limited to a job or bound by finances, she is able to just grow infinitely. We too, can grow in this way. We simply have to choose to.

There are so many things that I could give praise to in this movie, and I will in a more in depth analysis of Her later on, however the only reason this movie didn’t earn 5 stars is because it just seems to be a little too long in my opinion. I don’t know that this story takes 2 hours to tell, however, it was worth every minute. Jonze sets up every shot to be breathtaking and meaningful, just as film was meant to be. Fans of science fiction, romance or and especially those who don’t mind the combination of the two will love this film.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review of Her (2013). Stay tuned for my next post, and happy watching!

-M.K.