![]() ![]() As much as it's a heartfelt indie, there's a bold reality to the script, in the way the word "fuck" is often thrown around just like in real life and lines like one where Theodore says, jokingly (but not jokingly), how he can't balance his time between internet porn and video games. Primarily it's for the way it delicately balances feelings, emotions and human relationships with technology as a catalyst and character. In terms of the story itself, Her is yet another 2013 film deserving of the adjective "brilliant" for so many reasons. ![]() And she's growing with him every step of the way, saying more and more profound things as the story continues. We watch his face, his every expression, the details of his face, as he reacts and responds to her and what she is saying. It runs over two hours, yet most of it is simply listening intently to a voice talk with one lonely man. Her is also a wonderful lesson in the ever-important values of patience and listening. With Google Glass on the way, the idea of putting in an earpiece and having it direct every second of your life is not far fetched, it may be reality soon enough.įrom the amazing but subtle score by Arcade Fire, to the gorgeous but still soft-edged cinematography of Hoyte Van Hoytema, to the colorful set design, unique costume design, and everything else, this film is the best of example of collaboration coming together to make something even greater than the sum of its parts. He knows we live in a world nowadays where this tech is commonplace. I admire how much Jonze eschews any of the typically cliche Hollywood notions of technology, and how absurdly obvious or big and obnoxious everything usually is. After initializing, the OS takes the name Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) and works his way into his life through an earpiece and handheld device. Hesitant about finally signing divorce papers, Theodore tries out a new operation system. It's subtle but intricate design work that all adds to a much bigger, much more meaningful story of compassion in the end. However, there's also a bit of a vintage feel to the world, especially with the clothing and the simplistic design of the environment, with pastel colors used often. The near future feel of the film is a delicate vision of a time that lies just ahead, where Los Angeles is filled with skyscrapers (most of them residential buildings) and an efficient subway system (yes, there's even a map shown of this improved subway) and technology that fits into our ears and the palm of our hands. In Her, Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a mostly cheerful and well-meaning lonely man who works at a website writing "handwritten" letters. Instead of making fun of the idea of dating a "computer" and its operating system, or turning the story into a comedy, this sensitive and heartfelt drama is a profound meditation on the importance of love and how hard it is to find and hold onto. This entirely original story is the creation of Spike Jonze (director of the films Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Where the Wild Things Are) and it explores the depths, and the complexities, of modern love and human emotions in ways we've never seen any filmmaker attempt before. I am so in love with it that I went to see it twice in the same day at the New York Film Festival, just to confirm that it's as wonderful as I believe it truly is. I had a feeling I might fall hard for this movie, and I totally did. In this modern world consumed with technology and the connectivity of the internet, how do we still find love? How do we still find genuine, real love in a world of online dating, pornography, cell phones and YouTube? The closing film of the 51st New York Film Festival is Spike Jonze's latest brilliant creation titled Her, set in the near future, a meditation on the values of love and how one bubbly, charming man learns how to love (again) with the help of his operating system. "Falling in love is a crazy thing to do… it's kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity." We all want to fall in love, but it's easier for some than it is for others. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |