Her: The Should, the Could and the Empty (Film Snob #4)

At the rate that people have become more and more attached to their phones and technology, you’d think that one day someone would just straight up marry their computer!

Okay, let’s make a movie about that.

Her follows the nerdy, introverted Theodore Twombly as he recovers from a marriage that has fallen apart, and he can’t bring himself to sign the divorce papers. He still loves her, but the conflict of being sick of her and having to write beautiful handwritten notes for other people (an interesting concept that mirrors how we crave honesty today but are not willing to create it ourselves anymore). Living in a near future, he plays holographic video games and has an earpiece that lets him ask his computer to read news to him, play music, or even initiate a, er, “chat” with a woman. We see his loneliness and heartsickness.

Enter Samantha, a sentient operating system that learns. She comes to not only assist Theodore with his everyday routine, but develops a lovable personality that he ends up falling in love with. This sounds really weird, but Spike Jonze, director, crafts this romance expertly, so that it completely makes sense and seems real and fluid. Scarlett Johansson voices the sexy Samantha, and her voice acting is phenomenal in building an emotional, real person in this computer, which is amazing considering that she gets no face time. On the opposite end, Joaquin Phoenix receives considerable face time and makes the most of it. To be able to convey emotions for a person that isn’t that requires extraordinary skill, and Phoenix brings just that to the table in his moving performance as Theodore.

One of the best traits of this film is how creative and original it is. The romance, the story, and even some of the random details of this movie scream brilliancy, and Jonze receives major credit for not only directing, but writing this film. It deserved its Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, since many moments in this movie not only make you go Wow! but make you say That’s so true. The music gets creatively interlaced with the storytelling that helps us understand very theoretical or abstract emotions or concepts very clearly, such as beautiful, soothing music that Samantha writes to convey how she feels about being with Theodore while they sit on a beach. Unsurprisingly, Her won both Best Screenplay and Best Music in my list of the Best Movies of 2013.

But the greatest thing about this movie is how it makes you reflect on love and its role in our society. In one of the most perfect lines I have heard in a long time, Samantha asks Theodore what it’s like to be married. “It’s beautiful. Just, there’s something about sharing your life with someone else.” And this movie shows that: sharing your life with someone. It really makes you realize: love may be emotional, but why do we all want to be with only one person? Her shows that we do it because of the unique relationship that is developed when two people share their lives, as in the literal meaning of share, like a two-person Facebook where you share things with each other, back and forth. As a married man, this movie reminded me of all the beauty of marriage, beyond the physical and into the emotional. For those who are single, you could stand to learn many things about real, consistent love, as well as dealing with when a relationship completely falls apart. That doesn’t mean that I endorse every single aspect of love that is conveyed in this movie, but that inherent message really hit home, and I was personally affected by this film. Bravo!

In addition to all of the above, Amy Adams and Rooney Mara both turn in terrific supporting performances as Theodore’s platonic friend (who he may be falling for towards the end?) and his ex-wife, respectively. It also gives us a sort of satire on our technology dependency, predicting where we may be headed to next. But I will put a warning right here: towards the beginning, Theodore fantasizes about a model while doing a certain act, and it depicts her fully naked. There are also two instances of phone sex, and f-words interlaced throughout (not too much, but enough to make some uncomfortable). Of course, being about a relationship, there is some sexual dialogue. But despite all that, it truly is a masterpiece and a wonderful movie that shall be remembered for years, putting an exclamation point onto a truly unique year for movies.

Verdict: Everyone above the age of sixteen DEFINITELY SHOULD see this film, because it will really change your perspective on love, and sweeten any marriage.