When one thinks of Science Fiction, often what comes to the mind are flying saucers, robots, or time travel. Nothing wrong with any of those (I'll even admit to being a rather big Star Wars/Star Trek fan), but what I find to be the most interesting variation of the genre are the thought provoking predictions of where our society is heading or even things that don't seem too distant from where we find our technology. This is the world of Her.
Set in the not too distant future, Theodore Twombly is a ghost writer who crafts love letters for couples unable to creatively express themselves. However, he is in the midst of a messy divorce from his childhood sweetheart, and finds himself lonely. All this changes when he switches his Operating System to a new artificially intelligent one. It names itself Samantha and soon develops a personality that goes well with Theodore's. Soon enough, they find themselves falling for each other.
As I said, the most interesting aspect about this movie is how close it comes to being Science Reality. We are not far away from having technology with which we can fully interact with on an emotional level. That's part of the reason this film both connects with it's audience on a level that they can both comprehend and be challenged into a debate over it's messages.
The chemistry between Theodore and Samantha is probably some of the purest you will ever see. Take into account the fact that it is not based on any form of sexualization, it is based purely on their conversations and what they know about each other. They fall for each other based on who they are, not what they look like, and that is an amazing realization.
That being said however, you can never really forget what Samantha is. The fact that she is a computer program contributes to the major areas of conflict and make it that much more unsettling. At times the film is rather awkward when it tries to demonstrate the follies of this technology and what it can and can not do, but it gets its message across all the same.
This is certainly the warmest I have ever seen Joaquin Phoenix. While not nearly as nuanced as his role in The Master, he still carries a tremendous amount of passion. His introverted personality isn't something new, but the way that he morphs into this world is what makes him standout. He makes you feel that the idea of falling in love with your OS is possible of being something other than creepy.
Amy Adams also turns in a magnificent, if a little bit limited role. She also portrays a loner in her own right that is both understanding and supportive of Theodore. In the span of a month, Amy has gone from femme fatale con artist to warm, supportive best friend, and that is a testament to who she is as a performer.
Rooney Mara does what she does best as Theodore's quietly distant ex-wife. She serves as the audience's anchor to the negative aspect and as the criticism of Theodore's character. While the audience will naturally paint her with antagonism, Rooney serves her purpose in that capacity.
Also included in supporting roles that serve to play out different sides to Theodore are the ever-charming Chris Pratt and the lovely Olivia Wilde, and they also do spectacularly.
Andrew's Standout for Her would be the voice of Scarlett Johansson as Samantha. Without ever even appearing on screen, Scarlett embodies a fully developed character using only her voice, and it may have the most subtlety to it out of any one in this film. She pours full emotion and complete heart into a computer program, which is no small feat for anyone.
I would give Her a glance. It may be awkward and unconventional at times, but it's full of warmth, humor and enough substance to spark lively debates.
B+
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