MattSpike Jonze’s new film ‘Her’ takes a very dark look into where we are going as a society and how we may become as people. It stars Jaoquin Phoenix plays the main role as Theodore, a love letter writer who, after a recent divorce, can’t seem to find any attachment himself in this not too distant LA future. He later comes across this new programme, operating systems which act as AI. Through his own operating system he forms a friendship and later they fall in love with one another. Strange, yes but it’s not far from what we’ve become already.
Samantha (the operating system who gives herself the name) is played by Scarlet Johannsen. Samantha and Theodore interact through an ear piece he always wears so they can talk and his phone so she can see. In this small idea of Jonze’s he has created an entire world. We watch in the opening as Theodore speaks towards the camera as if about his love life however soon we see a hand written letter is being wrote out on the computer as Theodore says the words. He stands on the subway as his phone reads out his emails to him into his ear. It’s all these small fine details where Jonze has created this wealth of an idea.
It’s not just the world which is so interesting. It’s the relationship between Theodore and Samantha. Both become instant friends within a few minutes and really bond over Theodore’s’ past letters. The two make fun of other couples and how they interact when these two characters can barely interact themselves. Even to the point where you sit staring at these two fall in love and you as an audience member find it weird and try to deny it could happen it is then you realise it’s acceptable. As two characters who discover Theodore’s secret quite clearly accept it as normal. It’s as if we’re transported to another world where it’s acceptable for little interaction between a couple or are we inf act heading this way already.
It seems ‘Her’ is a gaze into Jonze’s mind and what he thinks the world will be like one day. Throughout characters wander around staring at their phones and talking into their ear pieces neglecting whats around them. It displays a relationship when Theodore and Samantha quid plainly point out couples and their difficulties. Are we heading into a world where neglect and interaction on a realistic level is no longer. Perhaps we are.
‘Her’ is a brilliant masterpiece of a film. It speaks on so many levels of what we’re about as a society without even making that the front show.
Rating: 9/10