Spike Jonze’s “Her” is a radical glimpse of near-future world where the technological advances are ever-so believable and effortlessly appropriate. In it, Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a emotionally crippled 40-something who resorts to making use of a wickedly sophisticated, voice-embodied operating system which acts as a surrogate relationship partner. This OS, named Samantha, is voiced by Scarlet Johansson in one of the best voice-only performances you will hear this year. Samantha is in fact, so advanced compared to what we are used to in our present day society that it can solve all kinds of emotional problems such as loneliness, depression and anxiety. It can give sound advice about financial matters, organizational issues, and relationship problems.
But, Spike Jonze’s story and direction never leaves us hesitant or reluctant to accept the technological advances in this future world: everything seems more advanced but never far-fetched or unbelievable.
There are human beings in Theodore’s life too: there’s Amy (Amy Adams) a friend who provides some degree of support and solace. There’s potential love in a date with Olivia Wilde. And there are allusions to a past marriage in various flashbacks with Rooney Mara. All of these female characters give hints and clues as to the psychological impairments of Theodore and how he has been built up and torn down over the course of his past. All the exchanges and interactions in this film ring true and are extremely well-written.
But it is Theodore’s relationship with Samantha that is the heart and centre-piece of the film. It raises thematic issues such as the difference between Artificial intelligence and real life and the breakdown of true human relationships in society plus the tendency to resort to technology as a substitute for real humanity and getting lost or escaping to this world of artifice.
The future world which Jonze creates is a beautiful thing to behold. The glimpses of technological advances (video games, scanning technology, computers) architecture, even in the simplicity of clothing styles is truly fascinating.
This is a fantastic visionary blend of sci-fi, rom-com, and drama and one of the best films of 2013.
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