- aal1504
"Her" is a cinematic masterpiece worthy of its praise and Awards | Review and Analysis
2013 - Drama/Romance/Sci-Fi
Beware Spoilers Ahead!
Her – a film released in 2013, yet still managed to pull at my heartstrings. The screenplay, written and directed by Spike Jonze, felt entirely original, with the aspect of loneliness in a post-digital world being portrayed clearly. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely, depressed man working for a business that relies on professional writers to compose letters for those who request them. However, he finds himself struggling due to his impending divorce from his childhood sweetheart, Catherine (Rooney Mara), leading to his purchase of an operating system with integrated artificial intelligence designed to evolve with its user. Theodore, while initially hesitant and unsure of the program, then finds himself slowly falling for the AI, who named herself Samantha (Scarlett Johansson).
Now, Samantha is more different than the typical computer automated voices we’re used to, such as Siri, that sound robotic and inhuman. Quite the opposite, Samantha, with her raspy, sultry, Scarlett Johansson voice, sounds realistic and as if talking on a 4K quality phone device, demonstrating genuine emotions that make Theodore connect deeply to her. With abilities to learn and grow psychologically, Samantha and Theodore grow closer through their discussions of life, love, and, most notably, his divorce. Theodore is hesitant to sign the divorce papers, letting go of Catherine and that chapter of his life. With only his two married friends, Amy (Amy Adams) and Charles (Matt Letscher), to confide in, who also begin going through a divorce, he feels lonely, relying on Samantha to aid in navigating his emotions and thoughts during this time.
Samantha encourages him to go on dates, helps in constructing letters for his work, and listens as he expresses his intimate, depressed thinking on the trajectory of his life. However, the relationship between the two begins to shift after they engage in verbal sex one night, beginning the development of their life together as romantic partners. They go on dates to the beach, she meets his friends, surprises him with gifts, and they, essentially, operate as if they are merely in a long-distance relationship rather than a operating system with her human boyfriend. Their relationship was beautifully written, leaving me feeling heartbroken and tearful when Samantha informed Theodore at the end of the movie that all the AIs are leaving. In general, this film was emotional, impactful, and has stuck with me ever since I watched it a few weeks ago.
Nevertheless, after watching this film with my boyfriend, I became strikingly aware that this concept of AI and human relationships does not make sense to everyone, with some even feeling uncomfortable given that they simply don’t like the mention of AIs as integrated figures within our society. In this case, while I loved watching the relationship between Theo and Sam, recognizing how, in Theo’s eyes, this relationship was as real as any other, my boyfriend didn’t. He couldn’t understand why Theodore fell in love with Samantha and allowed her deep integration into his life seeing that she was a computer programmed to be likeable, feeling as though Theodore was wasting his time and should’ve found a real woman.
While I completely understand that perspective, the reality of this film is not entirely to condone AI and human relations, but rather recognize the humanness in a seemingly unrealistic situation. The establishment of shows, such as Love is Blind and Sexy Beats (cringe), are due to the concept of loving someone without physical attraction being involved, and, instead, focus on the personality. Physical attraction, for a large part of the population, does play a role in falling for someone, which is not a bad thing; it’s only human. However, sometimes, as seen in Her, that is not always the case, with the physical attraction aspect being deemed unnecessary given the deep connection Theodore and Samantha had established with one another.
She was there for him when he felt he had no one, sparking purpose in his life during a time he felt he had none. She showed him emotions he thought had all been lost while going through his divorce, beginning a new sort of relationship that may seem unlikely and unique to most, but, in their eyes, was entirely real. The aspect of her not having a body was brought up numerous times, with that having been her biggest insecurity that she repeatedly expressed to Theodore. After Theodore had met up with Catherine to sign the divorce papers in which she accused him of not being able to deal with real human emotions, Samantha desperately attempts to soothe his sadness from this encounter and her insecurity of not being human, hiring a sex surrogate.
Isabella (Portia Doubleday), the surrogate, was meant to simulate Samantha so they could engage in physical intimacy, which weirded Theodore out and led to tension within their relationship. However, after confiding in Amy regarding his doubts on his relationship with Samantha, she encouraged him to embrace his happiness with her, recognizing that his feelings are real and that’s okay. His relationship with Samantha then begins a noticeable difference in which he started finding peace with his divorce, his emotions, and the actuality that Samantha being an AI had no weight on the genuine nature of their connection. That struck me deeply knowing that, despite her being a computer, many people are searching the world for a relationship as real and authentic as theirs.
A union in which your lives blend and intertwine comfortably together despite objections from the outside world, feeling bonded enough to tell each other anything whilst growing together and individually, can be hard to come by. Being loved without significant value being placed on your appearance, in this current dating society, is often times incredibly difficult to find. So, while I’m not saying I condone AI relationships, I am saying, in the movie context, I empathized with them and felt humbled by their love.
Before Samantha, Theodore was a man unable to be open with himself and his feelings, leading to his divorce. Through his letters at work, he spoke the thoughts and feelings meant to portray and be given to someone else, yet never could do that for himself. However, Samantha developed a new side within him that, by the end of the film, left with him writing a letter to Catherine finally in his own words, expressing his true feelings and giving an apology. Due to the unreliable nature of technology, it was inevitable that Samantha would not always be there, and that Theodore would, eventually, need to move on to a relationship with a more stable future. Nonetheless, there is no question that the experience with Samantha changed him for the better, making the ending scene as he sat and watched the sunrise with Amy, who had also lost her AI best friend, all the more impactful.
Great film and 100% worth the watch for any viewers wanting to cry, experience a unique plot centered around AI and human love, and any fans of Sci-Fi. Joaquin phoenix and Spike Jonze – amazing job with the portrayal and heart given to this story. It was so beautiful to see it come to life as wonderfully as it did throughout its entirely without parts of it feeling unnecessary. The cinematography and coloring of this film also added a heartwarming touch. Overall, no complaints. I loved it!
