Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara
Directed by Spike Jonze
Having asserted that falling in love is just a socially acceptable form of insanity, Spike Jonzes Her goes on to illustrate that such madness takes myriad forms. For instance, theres Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a depressed writer who finds himself in the unexpected position of falling for Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), the revolutionary sentient operating system that powers his personal devices.
Remarkably, a premise that initially seems so slight it could barely sustain a quirky short film instead inspires a bold piece of speculative fiction well-stocked with heady ideas, keen insights and artful takes on both our innate desires and insecurities. Furthermore, its a deeply affecting work from a filmmaker whos more often celebrated for his visual talents.
That said, the design of the film does prove vital as it allows full immersion in a near-future Los Angeles of barely perceptible differences. Pants rise higher and public transit is fashionable but the effects of heartbreak havent diminished in the slightest. Its devastating to watch Theodore cope with the emotional fallout of his exs (Rooney Mara) anger and come to terms with his personal failings. Consequently, we share in the solace he takes from Samanthas assurance that the past is just a story we tell ourselves.
Jonzes film not only seduces us through such beautifully expressed sentiments but also by way of its beguiling depictions of how Theodores fully-reciprocated infatuation with Samantha inspires confounding questions that dont have any easy, much less eloquent, answers. Revelling in the fact that, at its heart, romance is irrational and absurd, Her ultimately assures us that were better to have loved and lost our minds.
