...but I'd rather date a human being. However, running off with your laptop is presented as ever-so-plausible in the futuristic world (the not-too-distant future, terrifyingly enough) presented in Her. Informing friends and family that your significant other is an operating system doesn't even earn a second thought. Theodore, played by Joaquin Pheonix, wanders around in a depressed stupor (he even requests that his do-it-all phone/earpiece thing play a "melancholy song" while he rides in an elevator) completely entranced by his ear gadget (the future of smart phones, apparently- I thought it was the Google contact lens), telling it to check his e-mail, read messages, etc. None of the people passing him by glance up, completely absorbed in their technological devices. Doesn't sound too far off from where society is today, does it?
The portrayal of human-robot relations in film is no novel idea. There's Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey, that weird robot from the Will Smith movie that came out awhile back, and now we have Samantha. I guess you could call her "sexy"- how could she not be when the sultry Scarlett Johansson is providing her voice (though I must admit, I preferred our darling Scarlett when looking like she did in Lost in Translation, aka her pre-smoldering temptress days)? Perhaps that casting choice was actually a flaw- every time Samantha spoke my mind instantly imagined Scarlett on the other end of the phone somewhere, making it seem more like Theodore was involved in a long-distance relationship.
I noticed that Joaquin Phoenix is the perfect Doppleganger of the guy in the Cohen Brothers' film A Serious Man (Michael Stuhlbarg). The first time I saw the trailer, I did not think that the main actor was Joaquin. Just another pair to add to the list of celebrity look-a-likes (think Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel). Joaquin did a stellar acting job as did Amy Adams (how does she have time to be in so many movies these days?) and Chris Pratt (that guy is hilarious- probably the most underrated comedy actor of today. I attest he is the next Will Farrell).
Noticing that this film received over a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and its Best Picture nomination instantly elevated the bar of my expectations to the point where the heaviest man on earth could do the limbo underneath it. This is dangerous to do prior to a screening as I am almost always disappointed. This was no exception- I wanted nothing short of to love Her with a fiery, unbridled passion causing me to burst out the theater doors and rave about its awesomeness non-stop to all I encountered for the next two weeks, much to the dismay of all I encountered. Is that too much to ask? I didn't think so.
Being a contender for the coveted Best Picture Oscar instantly sets my mind to "over-analyze every film element" mode. I assume that if the Academy sees it as a true masterpiece of the cinema, it must have subtleties that film students could spend hours discussing. It got to the point where I thought "boy, they sure use the colors red and pink a lot. That MUST stand for something...hmmm...". Yeah, it probably stands for absolutely nothing. I also begin to read far too much into the underlying message of the film. Is it a critique of our increasing dependence on technology? An insight into the future dating world (match.com for robots?)? A commentary on how operating systems need to be treated better? All of the above? The takeaway from this review is I perhaps expected a bit too much and was therefore let down. Just be aware that it is a bit slow- if you go to see it, try to enjoy and not dissect every scene presented before you like I did. Then, you will certainly enjoy it.
The portrayal of human-robot relations in film is no novel idea. There's Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey, that weird robot from the Will Smith movie that came out awhile back, and now we have Samantha. I guess you could call her "sexy"- how could she not be when the sultry Scarlett Johansson is providing her voice (though I must admit, I preferred our darling Scarlett when looking like she did in Lost in Translation, aka her pre-smoldering temptress days)? Perhaps that casting choice was actually a flaw- every time Samantha spoke my mind instantly imagined Scarlett on the other end of the phone somewhere, making it seem more like Theodore was involved in a long-distance relationship.
I noticed that Joaquin Phoenix is the perfect Doppleganger of the guy in the Cohen Brothers' film A Serious Man (Michael Stuhlbarg). The first time I saw the trailer, I did not think that the main actor was Joaquin. Just another pair to add to the list of celebrity look-a-likes (think Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel). Joaquin did a stellar acting job as did Amy Adams (how does she have time to be in so many movies these days?) and Chris Pratt (that guy is hilarious- probably the most underrated comedy actor of today. I attest he is the next Will Farrell).
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| Maybe it is the glasses? |
Being a contender for the coveted Best Picture Oscar instantly sets my mind to "over-analyze every film element" mode. I assume that if the Academy sees it as a true masterpiece of the cinema, it must have subtleties that film students could spend hours discussing. It got to the point where I thought "boy, they sure use the colors red and pink a lot. That MUST stand for something...hmmm...". Yeah, it probably stands for absolutely nothing. I also begin to read far too much into the underlying message of the film. Is it a critique of our increasing dependence on technology? An insight into the future dating world (match.com for robots?)? A commentary on how operating systems need to be treated better? All of the above? The takeaway from this review is I perhaps expected a bit too much and was therefore let down. Just be aware that it is a bit slow- if you go to see it, try to enjoy and not dissect every scene presented before you like I did. Then, you will certainly enjoy it.
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