Her (2013)
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Her Movie Review
Her is a 2013 science fiction romance film directed by Spike Jonze and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson. It’s a hybrid masterpiece.
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“The past is just a story we tell ourselves“
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It follows a man who develops a strong romantic relationship with Samantha, a highly intelligent operating system. This is the case of a very, very near future, the kind of future that is so eerily close that it becomes rather like a warning sign. The scene that best exemplifies that is the sequence on the streets where the camera pans away from the protagonist only to show us how everyone else is speaking with an OS of some kind, totally disconnected from the outside stimuli.
The film portrays loneliness in an increasingly isolated world through a lot of very tender, poignant moments where you get to see how Theodore is struggling to continue his life on his own. But the genius of the movie lies in its central romance, so beautifully developed and oh so complex.
The film never really condemns people dating their OSes, but it does show how difficult and strange those relationships clearly are. The whole emphasis on physical bodies and the idea of the metaphysical is well touched upon, but the highlight is comparing this relationship to any other regular relationship, and seeing where they are the same, and where they differ. The details here are abundant and meticulous, making the entire affair much more believable, and so relatable in many arguments.
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Theodore Twombly is such a likable, very well developed, complex main character for whom you root for owing to his evident struggling and especially his sad past with his ex-wife. Joaquin Phoenix here gave probably his career-best performance. In my opinion, this is an even better turn than the one he gave in ‘Joker’ because it seems less calculated and much more natural and effortless.
The same should be said for Scarlett Johansson. This is the film that opened the conversation for voice actors needing to get more recognition by the awards, and I wholeheartedly agree that they need to be recognized in some way. This voice performance is fantastic, very believable, very nuanced and highly emotive. She managed to present to the audiences a vast range of emotions just through her voice, and that needs to be respected.
I also really liked the other supporting players. Olivia Wilde is wonderful in a very small role, Rooney Mara has that very difficult, but essential scene with her husband, and Chris Pratt is such a likable goof here. Amy Adams is the highlight among them as she per usual excelled at playing this very cool, funny woman who is there as a great friend to Theodore. Their scenes where they talk and share their experiences are often among the best of the picture.
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My favorite scenes are the conversations that Theodore and Samantha have, all of them highly fascinating and complicated, some are romantic and playful, others emotional and heated. The third party sex scene plays out very awkwardly whereas the realization that Samantha has many other acquaintances is truly heartbreaking. That scene felt as a genuine gut punch. But I really liked that the film ended on a sadder, but still hopeful note. It thus felt very realistic.
Her is a visually sumptuous film. It is so colorful, so drenched in sun and lighting, so very romantic in many of its usually outdoors sequences that it truly is a treat for the eyes. The technology in it is phenomenally depicted due to grounded in reality VFX, but the camera movements are quite inspired whereas some of the imagery is very effective at conveying emotion.
The cinematography coupled with the score made this film very romantic, at times melancholic, and constantly evocative emotionally speaking. The score is so beautiful, so modern in its sound, and yet tender and very sweet. The whole film is both sophisticated and immensely artistic, which to me is the perfect recipe for success.
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I am not the biggest fan of Spike Jonze, but in Her, he created a masterpiece. The movie is beautifully paced, consistently involving and frequently even thought-provoking. It succeeds as both a clever SF parable, and a forceful, refreshingly unique romance. The film’s originality is evident from the beginning, leading to what is one of the greatest films of the entire decade.
Very clever, engaging and thought-provoking, but also immensely evocative, tender and graceful, Her succeeds as both a sophisticated science fiction scenario and a heartfelt, authentic romance. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance might be his career-best whereas Scarlett Johansson gave such a nuanced, stupendous voice performance that single-handedly makes the case for the viability of voice acting’s recognition for the awards. The beautiful score coupled with arresting visuals makes it a very moody, emotional roller coaster of a ride, which undeniably ranks among the greatest pictures of the 2010s decade.
