Viewed in
2014
Formats
Movie theater.
Premise
A lonely writer (Joaquin Phoenix) develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).
Loved
Theodore and Sam's heartfelt journey, subtle visual flair, unique world-building.
Liked
Amy Adams.
Thoughts
Thoughtful, creative, heartfelt, haunting. One of my favorites of 2013.
Going in, I figured it would be weird. Walking out, all I could think about was the wonderful couple that Spike Jonze and company crafted. Scarlett Johansson, possibly her best work yet, was absolutely winning as Sam the OS. Her earnestness, curiosity, and childlike thirst for learning was infectious. Joaquin Phoenix was fantastic, as expected, effortlessly blending loneliness and sensitivity.
After the adorable meet-cute, the writing dived into the tender blossoming of a relationship, the complexities of maintaining one, and the inevitable threat of wilting. A lot of the insightful conversations and themes reminded me of another great relationship-driven film, Before Midnight. Like the other film, I really loved the contradictory temperance/permanence of love. As the couple's relationship propelled through different, interesting, revelatory, and dark phases, I too was propelled, rapt. I also enjoyed the explorations into monogamy maintenance and the painful process of letting go. The end result was a memorable, relatable couple who you want to hang out with forever.
While Johansson and Phoenix were the leads, I wanted to give a big shoutout to Amy Adams for a very underrated performance as Phoenix's adorable neighbor. The video game that cusses back at you was underrated too.
Now onto the weird, which really wasn't that weird. Jonze mostly let the unique story and characters do the heavy lifting, while his eye helped paint a world as believable and unique as the relationships. I truly admire the attention to detail in the world building. Every frame, he subtly reminded me of how important a director's decision-making matters. Take the art design. The specific choices of steampunk monitors and belt-less grandpa pants each contributed to creating the unforgettable autumn-toned/colored universe begging to be visited.
All decisions carry risk, regardless of how weird. Picking Arcade Fire to score the movie could've backfired, like Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood's super-distracting music in There Will Be Blood. Thankfully, it was a very strong fit tonally and thematically. It was risky to cast Phoenix. His baggage, plus the odd mustache, was almost detrimental to the movie, giving the impression of a creepy weirdo loner before his genuine sweetness and complexity won me over. There were some random moments, like camera crossing the line when Phoenix talked with Johansson through the monitor. A little distracting, but interesting.
The surprise ending twist of Her was spoilered beforehand, but the payoff still worked emotionally. As a science-fiction fan, the twist was brilliantly executed; totally logical yet creative. Perhaps I was robbed of being blown away by the moment due to being spoilered?
No matter. It didn't stop me from loving this haunting movie. I didn't stop me from immersing in Spike Jonze' distinct vision. It didn't stop me from loving Theodore and Sam's wonderful, sad, unique, universal relationship.
Random
Was it my imagination or one of the cityscape shots flipped? It seemed like traffic was going the wrong direction (to Americans).
