Spike Jonze brings us Her, a sci-fi romance drama between newly divorced Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) and his new artificially intelligent operating system Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). As Theodore becomes more depressed and lonely after his wife (Rooney Mara) leaves him, Samantha slowly learns what learning and experiencing existence is like, even without a body.The screenplay, which literally just won the golden globe, is fantastically, refreshingly original. The idea is so simple but the relationship still reaches its complexities that seem as accurate as they could for the near future. This concept will definitely become real at some point in our lives, but it amazes me that there hasn't been a movie just like this before.
Joaquin Phoenix gives a strong performance, but not one to pass up other Oscar contenders (he still deserves a nomination). His interaction with an OS as a love interest is believable, entertaining and accessible. Amy Adams also gives her usual solid performance.
The best part about Scarlett Johansson in Her is that men can see this film with their women without worrying about getting distracted by Johansson's body. She gives a strong performance without being on screen, without having a character on screen. She plays a computer learning to be a part of a human world, but all centered around Theodore, and she makes that character very engaging.
It's unclear what city Theodore lives in, but Jonze gives us beautiful shots of post modern skylines that seem similar to what we have today with their own futuristic tweaks. The colorful sights will keep the audience dazzled when things slow down.
Parts of the movie feel pretty predictable, because every romantic drama has to have a moment or two where the protagonist's love interest goes away for about 3-4 minutes after a fight before they make up. What makes Her special, is the way the relationship develops and how it continues to grow.
Chris Pratt serves as a form of comic relief, and I think that's about it. I feel like Jonze could have taken Pratt's character and his wife out of this movie entirely and the plot wouldn't change. Theodore doesn't seem to talk to him about anything important other than the fact that he's dating an OS. He still gets laughs, so it's not like he brought down the ship.
Overall the film was insightful and charismatic, and it will set the standard for AI dating when introverts being looking for it. It might be a bit over-hyped, because it's not the love story to end all love stories because it involves a computer. The story was original and the acting is strong. I would only expect this to win for its screenplay, but Her is definitely worth the watch.
Overall: B+
