Her Hits Home

If you thought “Tinder” and “OkCupid” were unsettling, then Spike Jonze’s new movie “Her” will take you to a brand new level of discomfort. But if you can get past the discomfort, I think the product will pleasantly surprise you.
Everyone engages in predicting the future. I’m still longing for the days of robot butlers and flying cars, but Jonze steers viewers into a world where robots don’t just appear in our daily lives, they become our romantic partners.
Joaquin Phonenix plays Theodore Twombly, a character that is just as awkward and anti-social as one can assume with an adorable name like Theodore Twombly. Theodore is going through a break-up with his ex-wife, played by Rooney Mara. At his loneliest point, he buys the newest operating system on the market. Samantha, voiced by Scartlett Johanson, becomes the new woman, or rather, voice in his life.
Samantha becomes Theodore’s life manager and is surprisingly friendly and easy to talk to, but she is still just a computer. Samantha has the ability to keep growing in emotional intelligence through human interaction. Theodore begins to fall for her. Jonze paints a future full of high-wasted pants and a shockingly realistic society that relies heavily on technology.
This movie touches on idealized infatuations. Theodore’s job is to write love letters for other people. His delusional mindset that love should forever stay in “the honeymoon phase” starts to become problematic to him as he faces relationship problems with Samantha.
Jonze creates characters that everyone can relate to. Amy Adams is another great addition to the movie, as she plays the role of Twombly’s best friend named Amy. Amy is going through a break up struggle as well. Her most hauntingly spot on line is:
“I think anybody who falls in love is a freak. It’s a crazy thing to do. It’s kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity.”
This story is completely out of the ordinary, but it’s done in such beautiful and thought-provoking way. It’s not just a testament to society’s growing reliance on our computers, but also largely a statement to growing up and getting over failed relationships. Samantha, who embodies the perfect counter half (other than the whole body thing), still can’t solve Theodore’s problems and pain. That is on Theodore.
In today’s society, it’s hard to imagine life without our computers. Some folks spend hours on Facebook constructing their outward appearance, and although this perceived reality is easy to fall into, there is something to be said about the human experience and its’ imperfections. We are not computers, but we oftentimes live on them. Jonze’s seems to be challenging the audience, as he does Theodore, to step outside and see the world.
This movie is one of Joaquin Phoenix’s best performances yet and Spike Jonze leaves a bitter, icy taste in our mouths. It’s clear he has a lot to say and everyone should take a chance on this movie; it’s worth every penny.