Her will be remembered as Spike Jonze’s masterpiece. Jonze doesn’t work often in movies, but when he does, they are usually something interesting (Where the Wild Things Are, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich). While most of his previous efforts were more brilliant showcases of storytelling, Jonze goes right for the heart in Her. This movie combines brilliant ideas on our current technological state with one of the most unique romances ever to grace the screen. I couldn’t move for a few moments after the credits started to roll as tears formed around my eyes.
Greeting card writer Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is in a melancholic state. His ex-wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) wants him to sign his divorce papers, but Theodore is reluctant. Bored by video games and getting nowhere with female companionship, he buys an OS (operating system) named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Theodore quickly realizes he has a connection with Samantha, who understands him in ways a human does not and starts to form a real, intimate relationship with her. He also has a friend Amy (Amy Adams) who is having a similar relationship with an OS that they can talk about and bounce ideas off of each other.
Her’s reality is set in the not too distant future Los Angeles. The changes are subtle, but not unbelievable. Connection and interactions are the big themes in the future: whoever invented mice will be pissed to find out they are not necessary anymore. Voice recognition allows us to speak directly to both man and machine now, closing the gap between human and electronic connection. As a result, relationships with OS’s are not met with cynicism, but with inquiry. It’s nice to see movie people not terrified of machine self-awareness, but simply accepting it as an evolutionary mark on society.
With the future set up very quickly, Jonze quickly establishes a relationship filled with copious amounts of questions. How one-sided is this relationship? How does physical manifestation of feelings translate from talking? Does the OS feel similar feelings as a human? Can you hide feelings from an OS? When the OS evolves, can it handle the complexity of human emotions? What is an OS doing when a person is not connected? How do double dates work? That’s not even considering the normal relationship questions like: Does past matter?, What happens when someone evolves more than the other person?, Is emotional gratification better than physical gratification? All these questions are touched upon by Jonze’s screenplay, which subtly unfolds and evolves from beginning to end.
But the main reason Her is successful is because of the fantastic relationship developed between Theodore and Samantha. Joaquin Phoenix does some of his most personal work here, holding his own as an actor playing against no one. You FEEL with Phoenix: understanding his highs and his lows with ease. There’s no hint of artifice from the actor here, who is known to be not all there from time to time. Scarlett Johansson takes a part that wasn’t hers initially, and gives Samantha the perfect amount of humanity. It is easy to understand why Phoenix would fall for Samantha, and even though she doesn’t exist in the physical world, Johansson makes us believe she is a real entity. Amy Adams is also welcome as Phoenix’s female counterpart, displaying frailty and understanding in a way she hasn’t in other parts. I’m convinced Adams can play anything at this point. Olivia Wilde, Rooney Mara, and Chris Pratt provide some nice support as well.
Her is very much the right movie for this time. As more and more people search for connections inside their phones than around them, it is important to recognize that developments like this are evolutionary, and as such society and technology will evolve to cater to their consumers. Spike Jonze may be the shallow perv that produces the Jackass franchise, but he is also the brilliant oracle who can craft something as poignant and heartfelt as Her. I hope someone gives him more money to create more movies, especially since he is one of the few filmmakers who seems to be bound by nothing.