Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams and Rooney Mara
Written and directed by Spike Jonze
USA 2013
126 minutes
Our last film Exhibition examined a contemporary relationship in the chilly setting of an architect designed house in London. 'Her' continues to explore that theme but imagines what might happen to us when the boundaries of technology and emotion become well and truly blurred.
In the Los Angeles of the near future Theodore is a lonely man working for a company that composes letters for people who are unable to write personal missives for themselves. He is about to be divorced from his childhood sweetheart Catherine and when an old friend lines up a date for him that goes wrong he begins to despair. He turns to his newly purchased OS (operating system) Samantha and little by little the two become involved in a loving relationship.
Spike Jonze began as a music video director and first came to attention with his sublime 1999 magical realist comedy 'Being John Malkovich' in which the quirks and curiosities of human behaviour were revealed through a surreal plot involving the actor and his subconscious. He went on to make 'Adaptation' and 'Where The Wild Things Are'.
The cast of 'Her' including Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams are excellent while Scarlett Johansson is heard but not seen as disembodied voice of Samantha - one half of the love affair. The film is exquisitely shot by Hoyt Van Hoytema and the music is provided by the eclectic Canadian Indie band Arcade Fire.
'Her' is a touching rom-com like no other you will have seen - Jonze has created a tender, delicately funny investigation of modern love and the implications of our ever deepening connection to computers and the internet which is both startlingly imaginative and grounded in intriguing possibility.
