Her
That awkward moment when you get a crush on your operating system
Spike Jonze’s ,Her recounts the story of a heartbroken man who, drowned in solitude ends up finding an unlikely yet comforting lover, in a world both infected and blessed by modern technology.
This film is poetic, cleverly written and bittersweet. It reflects love in a manner that strips away its superficiality and brings its audience closer to viewing relationships with a new gaze. It portrays a person’s conflict in a world where we are simultaneously alone and never alone. The writing is sincere, intimate and intelligent; I wish I could write something so beautiful and moving. For me, this film is mesmerising and in the calibre of exceptional films made this year, Her has got to be one of my favourites. It is simply just such an interesting concept and story.
Not to sound too much like a 15 year old, but this film was deep. Like so deep. The acting was effortless. Joaquin Phoenix became Theodore and presented him most credibly, most ardently and most vulnerably. The film focuses on him and Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). It is essentially their world. It is so personal and intimate. We should feel privileged to be invited in to share their thoughts and feelings. We feel delighted yet uncomfortable to be a part of it. This is due to its surreal nature. Due to its disconnection from reality, but at the same due to its presentation of reality.
The film is stunning in every sense. The music evokes such strong emotions (have been listening to soundtrack on repeat I must admit). The cinematography is equally so graceful and beautiful. The setting , even where he lives is breath-taking.
The story. The story is just amazing. I fell for it immediately and whilst I was watching a film about a writer falling in love with his new artificial intelligence operating system aka Samantha; I was surprisingly hooked, I felt like I could relate. Trust me. You will be able to identify. Sounds crazy I know. But, well, because essentially what It is showing is that, love is love, no matter who, no matter what, no matter when (ok, obviously there are limits let’s not be too creepy now). One of my favourite lines of the film was delivered by Amy (Amy Adams), who says, “ I think anybody who falls in love is a freak. It's a crazy thing to do. It's kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity”.
There is a sense of duality and contradiction in the film’s portrayal of love, which is what makes the writing and the story so unique. On the one side it demonstrates that we are able to, and perhaps should, try and love without superficiality, without physical expectations and needs. I mean this in the sense of forgetting about what the person looks like. Fall in love with their soul, as cheesy as that sounds. But on the other hand, it shows how important and precious it can be, to be able to touch someone, to feel them (I don’t mean this in a perverted way!). How essential it can be, to kiss someone, to hug them, to feel their physical presence around you. To make you feel less alone I guess and more real.
As I was watching the film I personally constantly, felt conflicted and uncertain. In one sense I felt that it showed how technology is poisoning our social interactions; Are we becoming unsocial? I mean, we build relationships in a virtual world. But is that real? is that what true interaction Is or has become? Or is it all an illusion? A manifestation of our inabilities and fears to have real relationships with someone?
But in the other sense? I felt the relationship between Samantha and Theodore, brought to the surface people’s solitude and need for companionship. Any kind it may be. It also emphasised our unwillingness to truly listen to one another. And I mean listen. We all hear. But do we actually listen? I do not think we do this intentionally or because of a sinister reason, but perhaps because of ignorance, because we are much too worried about who will listen to us. Don’t get me wrong, I think that there is a lot more humanity and support in this world that we think there is. But I mean it more so in the sense of relationships. Do you not feel we sometimes stop listening to what the other person is trying to say to us? Samantha essentially filled that lonely void in his life, she made Theodore her first priority, every feeling, every thought that passed through him became important to her. In a way, she was a creation of his “inner-self”. She truly became his other half. And is that what we want in love?
I do not know the answer. I think ultimately the film forces us to reassess how we view past, present and possibly future relationships. To be more open minded, to be attentive and to understand that sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Whether we want to or not.
It is a film that engages you in a way that you want to look at the world in another way, that you want you to appreciate it more. That you get excited about the little things you feel, the things you see, the people who surround you. But it also highlights the great solitude that is experienced by many, that is not always banished, but that remains perpetual. It makes you understand things you may have been too ignorant to understand before.
Ok, I realise I am sounding too mushy. But this film really got to me.
Who would have thought that a sci-fi romance drama about a guy falling for essentially a software programme could be so moving, so real, so heartfelt.
Her is an oracle of love in an ever technologically dependent society. It is complex, unique and thought provoking.
It is films like this that remind me even more why I love this art form.
Please watch it. I would love you forever.
Es x x x
Also – if you have watched it , are you sort of looking at Siri in a different way? Haha just joking. He is not Samantha and no where near as clever or real.
Spike Jonze’s ,Her recounts the story of a heartbroken man who, drowned in solitude ends up finding an unlikely yet comforting lover, in a world both infected and blessed by modern technology.
This film is poetic, cleverly written and bittersweet. It reflects love in a manner that strips away its superficiality and brings its audience closer to viewing relationships with a new gaze. It portrays a person’s conflict in a world where we are simultaneously alone and never alone. The writing is sincere, intimate and intelligent; I wish I could write something so beautiful and moving. For me, this film is mesmerising and in the calibre of exceptional films made this year, Her has got to be one of my favourites. It is simply just such an interesting concept and story.
Not to sound too much like a 15 year old, but this film was deep. Like so deep. The acting was effortless. Joaquin Phoenix became Theodore and presented him most credibly, most ardently and most vulnerably. The film focuses on him and Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). It is essentially their world. It is so personal and intimate. We should feel privileged to be invited in to share their thoughts and feelings. We feel delighted yet uncomfortable to be a part of it. This is due to its surreal nature. Due to its disconnection from reality, but at the same due to its presentation of reality.
The film is stunning in every sense. The music evokes such strong emotions (have been listening to soundtrack on repeat I must admit). The cinematography is equally so graceful and beautiful. The setting , even where he lives is breath-taking.
The story. The story is just amazing. I fell for it immediately and whilst I was watching a film about a writer falling in love with his new artificial intelligence operating system aka Samantha; I was surprisingly hooked, I felt like I could relate. Trust me. You will be able to identify. Sounds crazy I know. But, well, because essentially what It is showing is that, love is love, no matter who, no matter what, no matter when (ok, obviously there are limits let’s not be too creepy now). One of my favourite lines of the film was delivered by Amy (Amy Adams), who says, “ I think anybody who falls in love is a freak. It's a crazy thing to do. It's kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity”.
There is a sense of duality and contradiction in the film’s portrayal of love, which is what makes the writing and the story so unique. On the one side it demonstrates that we are able to, and perhaps should, try and love without superficiality, without physical expectations and needs. I mean this in the sense of forgetting about what the person looks like. Fall in love with their soul, as cheesy as that sounds. But on the other hand, it shows how important and precious it can be, to be able to touch someone, to feel them (I don’t mean this in a perverted way!). How essential it can be, to kiss someone, to hug them, to feel their physical presence around you. To make you feel less alone I guess and more real.
As I was watching the film I personally constantly, felt conflicted and uncertain. In one sense I felt that it showed how technology is poisoning our social interactions; Are we becoming unsocial? I mean, we build relationships in a virtual world. But is that real? is that what true interaction Is or has become? Or is it all an illusion? A manifestation of our inabilities and fears to have real relationships with someone?
But in the other sense? I felt the relationship between Samantha and Theodore, brought to the surface people’s solitude and need for companionship. Any kind it may be. It also emphasised our unwillingness to truly listen to one another. And I mean listen. We all hear. But do we actually listen? I do not think we do this intentionally or because of a sinister reason, but perhaps because of ignorance, because we are much too worried about who will listen to us. Don’t get me wrong, I think that there is a lot more humanity and support in this world that we think there is. But I mean it more so in the sense of relationships. Do you not feel we sometimes stop listening to what the other person is trying to say to us? Samantha essentially filled that lonely void in his life, she made Theodore her first priority, every feeling, every thought that passed through him became important to her. In a way, she was a creation of his “inner-self”. She truly became his other half. And is that what we want in love?
I do not know the answer. I think ultimately the film forces us to reassess how we view past, present and possibly future relationships. To be more open minded, to be attentive and to understand that sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Whether we want to or not.
It is a film that engages you in a way that you want to look at the world in another way, that you want you to appreciate it more. That you get excited about the little things you feel, the things you see, the people who surround you. But it also highlights the great solitude that is experienced by many, that is not always banished, but that remains perpetual. It makes you understand things you may have been too ignorant to understand before.
Ok, I realise I am sounding too mushy. But this film really got to me.
Who would have thought that a sci-fi romance drama about a guy falling for essentially a software programme could be so moving, so real, so heartfelt.
Her is an oracle of love in an ever technologically dependent society. It is complex, unique and thought provoking.
It is films like this that remind me even more why I love this art form.
Please watch it. I would love you forever.
Es x x x
Also – if you have watched it , are you sort of looking at Siri in a different way? Haha just joking. He is not Samantha and no where near as clever or real.