her - Movie Review

Who's in it?

Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix

What's it about?

Theo, a man who writes heartfelt letters to loved ones for other people, is going through a divorce with the only woman he thinks he'll ever love when he sees an ad for an artificial intelligence computer Operating System (OS) and this movie follows his deepening and somewhat surprising relationship with 'it'.

Any Good?

I love this film. That's a short introduction but I really do. her is a brilliant and truthful picture of what the future and the singularity hold, not some super-deathbot apocalypse but people falling in love with these bodiless 'people'. It's also a thought provoking social commentary on and correlation to people in long distance online relationships. It depicts to a tee how it feels to be so completely swept up in your perception of a 'person' with no way to physically meet them. 

A new, alternate poster

I don't know if it's the fact that I'm part of a generation where relationships without physical contact are quite common (I'm 18), or the fact that I will and always adore and sympathise with the Geth, but Theo's relationship with Samantha really felt genuine to me, it hit pretty close to home which completely engaged me from the beginning.

Joaquin Phoenix's performance was excellent, being lonely and angry shown subtly instead of shouts and wild arm gestures as well as his awkwardness around other people, it just feels authentic. Scarlett Johansson's voice made it feel like she was really there and full of wonder like Samantha was - it was an UNGODLY amount of sexy. 

Even Chris Pratt's nonchalant "cool" as a dismissal of Theo telling him that his girlfriend is an OS was fantastically delivered and perhaps a foreshadow of the normalcy of these relationships in times to come. 

Nothing I can say will do this film justice in my mind, honestly just go to see it. It's a sweeter, more heartfelt version of The Man With Two Brains while still having some truly funny parts. I need to watch it another three times from different perspectives, like if Samantha was just an OS and not someone who felt like she was there in front of you. The music is powerfully evocative and really opened my eyes to how it can be used to convey emotion for the first time. Also, the way Theo wears his trousers is now the way I wear my trousers for life. 

PS. This movie is a straight 5 cherries on a personal level and is now one of my favourites but on a critical level it is sadly not as strong as the likes of Dallas Buyers Club from this year(the review of which, you'll see live again come 1pm today) 

Rating? 

The  Eldest Gorgebag.