Duck Fox

"The Future" in film is almost always a dark and scary place. Not the future OF film, but the actual setting of an individual dramatic film. When it's not a world ruled by artificial intelligence or diabolical aliens, it's an Orwellian dystopia or postapocalyptic wasteland. There's very rarely a film that emphasizes the ways in which a futuristic world may just be an improvement on our current society. Thankfully Her manages to capture just such a future by exploring just what it means to be human, and all the messy emotional hang ups this carbon shell comes with.

Spike Jonze is apparently pretty well known for his quirky films, but this is the first of his films that I've actually had the pleasure of sitting down and watching. The man can certainly create a story. Her is ostensibly about a lonely man, Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) developing romantic feelings for his artificially intelligent operating system, Samantha (voiced by Black Widow herself, Scarlett Johansson). But in most places, the movie glosses over the surrealism of the premise, preferring to explore the relationship itself rather than dwell on society's perception of it as either "good" or "bad". There are a few moments where Theodore's apparent love for his OS is regarded as odd or pathetic, but for most of the film's 126 minute runtime Theodore and Samantha seem like a normal loving couple. The fact that Theodore can't physically connect with Samantha doesn't diminish the feelings they have for one another.

Indeed, Her's greatest asset is its ability to get to the emotional core of all the characters in the film. Amy Adams plays a squirrely game developer whose frustrated with her own romantic relationship and so forges a friendship with her own OS. Theodore's ex-wife (Rooney Mara) has a very limited part, but even her motivations and emotional state is clearly explored. One of the more intriguing subplots actually builds out of a comment she makes about Theodore's capacity for dealing with emotions. House alum Olivia Wilde and Parks and Recreation vet Chris Pratt round out the cast and provide levity around all the heartbreak and moodiness, Wilde's small appearance as an off kilter blind date is of particular note by starting humorously and then diving into heartwrench territory.

The film also succeeds in exploring the impact of advanced technology of this type without overindulging in technobabble. Indeed, the futuristic world that is imagined has 3D videogames that can be played via seamless motion sensing technology and with highly varied dialogue and reactions of in game characters. But all the characters are so blasé when it comes to interacting with such advanced technology that none of the impressive software and hardware systems interfere with the way they emote. Of course, the fact that the interaction between human character and machine is flawless is what makes this near future love story so believable.

And at its core, Her is nothing but a love story. Only one that explores all range and stages of "love". From infatuation, to the "honeymoon" phase, to the resigned depression that comes with knowing you've lost the one you love. Love between friends, between family, between lovers themselves and between man and technology. It could even be said that it's a story about loving to love one's self in a world that's so intent on telling us who we should be, be with, and want to become. The fact that half the film is told from the perspective of a software program does little to diminish its impact.

10/10

Watch It Like a Fox

Duck It If:

•   You have no soul.