Her Movie Review

"We are only here briefly, and in this moment I want to allow myself joy."
-Amy

I'd like to start off by saying that Her isn't for everyone. Directed by Spike Jonze and starring Joaquin Phoenix who plays an awkward, anti-social writer who's going through a rough patch in his life. It takes place in the not-so-distant future where technology has advanced past anything we're currently working with but not too far down the road where it seems unlikely to be possible. In other words, I could see myself with some of these gadgets in the next 10 years at the pace that technology is advancing.

I would also like to make it clear that Her isn't simply about some guy who falls in love with a "computer", there's a lot more to it than that. We find out early on that our main character Theodore is currently a writer and previously married but now lives a lonely life full of gadgets and virtual gaming. Fast forward to where Theodore purchases a new line of operating systems that are designed to help you out and make your everyday life easier. He very easily chooses the voice of the operating system to be female when given the option. What starts off as a seemingly smarter version of Siri, turns out to be much more than expected.

Not only is Scarlett Johansson gorgeous but her voice was perfect for the role of Samantha, Theodore's new best friend. Just as I think I would be, Theodore was really curious about how exactly Samantha functioned and began developing a relationship with "it". Spike Jonze does an excellent job in portraying Samantha as more than just artificial intelligence. Samantha just like any human new to the world is curious about everything, the only difference is that she has the ability to learn anything she wants at anytime. We even see that she feels emotions which adds many levels of depth to the character. 

There were also two great supporting actresses who added to this already interesting story. Amy Adams plays a character named Amy who seems to be one of Theodore's only real friends and shares so much in common with him. And we have Rooney Mara who plays his ex-wife who doesn't understand or wants to accept the kind of person Theodore is. They honestly bring welcome talent to the film and I enjoyed their performances.

As we already now from the previews, Theodore and Samantha fall very much in love. It is every bit as real as any other romance I've seen and I can say that confidently. However I can see how people may think that the concept of falling in love with something that isn't a human being really isn't love in the way we define it. But after seeing Her I can say that isn't true. You have to experience the film for yourself to really understand what I'm getting at and what Jonze wanted to get across.

Spike Jonze creates a world that could easily become our reality considering how dependent we are becoming on technology. It's only moving forward and advancing faster than we can keep pace with. There were numerous scenes of Theodore walking home and everyone on the street had an ear piece in and were talking to some form of technology.Similar to the way you look around in the street or a restaurant and see everyone on their smartphones and tablets. It's not so much a fiction when you think about it!

I thoroughly enjoyed Her and would give it a 9 out of 10. Great cast, unique story, and very raw emotions that really help you relate to the characters themselves. I also liked the ending but you can make that judgement for yourself! Just be warned that there is "sex" scene that may be a bit uncomfortable to listen to. I hope you enjoy Her as much as i did!