What is this movie about? Imagine if Siri (the iPhone voice) was funny, and had human-like qualities, minus the body of course. Wait I think I kind of like talking to Siri, she's actually pretty cool. I think I'm starting to like Siri, but I definitely want to only date human females. On second thought, human females are actually insane, maybe I can date Siri? But seriously, that's what the basic premise of this film is. I know I usually do fake premises in this section, but I'm not kidding. This is real.
In All Seriousness:
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Written by: Spike Jonze
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson's voice, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, Olivia Wilde
Written by: Spike Jonze
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson's voice, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, Olivia Wilde
'Her' is a lot of things. It's a love story. It's a story about a man and the women in his life. It's a story about going through a relationship, no matter who the other person in the relationship is. Some people will think it's weird. Some people will think it's creative. Some people will think it's weirdly creative. I think it is the best movie of the year (although there are definitely a few contenders that I have yet to see).
In a year with flashy, over-the-top performances in films like 'American Hustle' and 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (still some great performances in these films), it was nice to see a skilled actor give a more reserved performance. Joaquin Phoenix does some of the best work of the year as the main character, Theodore. Since a majority of the scenes include him alone talking to or listening to a computer's voice (that hasn't been edited into the film yet), it takes a talented actor to get everything spot-on. Additionally, Scarlett Johansson's voice-acting in 'Her', which was added at the end of production after Samantha Morton had already recorded all of the dialogue, is probably the best work of her career. She's believable and gives a truly emotional performance, which I imagine is difficult when only being able to use the sound of her voice.
'Her' is the first screenplay written solely by Spike Jonze, that he also directed. Jonze writes some beautiful dialogue, and creates touching and funny moments from page 1 of the script to the very final words. He displays a near future that is believable, possible, and fun to look at. An effort to avoid the clichés of a Hollywood romantic-comedies is evident and successful in 'Her'. It's always nice to see a unique film, although I wouldn't really classify this as a romantic-comedy. I wouldn't know what genre to place it in really.
Joaquin Phoenix by far has the most screen-time as he is in basically every scene. However, an important aspect of the film is the multitude of female characters. I don't want to give away too much plot detail, but Phoenix's character Theodore has relationships, whether long or short ones, with several women throughout the film. He is surrounded by women, and they all affect his life dramatically in different ways. The title 'Her' could really be referencing any of these women (or all of them collectively), as they are all crucial to the film's story. 'Her' is a good commentary on the different roles that women play in a man's life, and the reverse, which is a single man's role in all of these women's lives.
I know people who are hesitant about seeing this film, because the concept seems weird. The only thing I can say is that it is way more than what it seems, and a chance should be given to what could potentially be a movie that you like a lot. If you're really THAT creeped out by the thought of the story, then you probably won't like 'Her'. But try using an open mind, because it could benefit you and the film industry. I hope that more creative, original films like 'Her' starting getting made more abundantly, rather than 4th or 5th installments of franchises that haven't been good for years.
In a year with flashy, over-the-top performances in films like 'American Hustle' and 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (still some great performances in these films), it was nice to see a skilled actor give a more reserved performance. Joaquin Phoenix does some of the best work of the year as the main character, Theodore. Since a majority of the scenes include him alone talking to or listening to a computer's voice (that hasn't been edited into the film yet), it takes a talented actor to get everything spot-on. Additionally, Scarlett Johansson's voice-acting in 'Her', which was added at the end of production after Samantha Morton had already recorded all of the dialogue, is probably the best work of her career. She's believable and gives a truly emotional performance, which I imagine is difficult when only being able to use the sound of her voice.
'Her' is the first screenplay written solely by Spike Jonze, that he also directed. Jonze writes some beautiful dialogue, and creates touching and funny moments from page 1 of the script to the very final words. He displays a near future that is believable, possible, and fun to look at. An effort to avoid the clichés of a Hollywood romantic-comedies is evident and successful in 'Her'. It's always nice to see a unique film, although I wouldn't really classify this as a romantic-comedy. I wouldn't know what genre to place it in really.
Joaquin Phoenix by far has the most screen-time as he is in basically every scene. However, an important aspect of the film is the multitude of female characters. I don't want to give away too much plot detail, but Phoenix's character Theodore has relationships, whether long or short ones, with several women throughout the film. He is surrounded by women, and they all affect his life dramatically in different ways. The title 'Her' could really be referencing any of these women (or all of them collectively), as they are all crucial to the film's story. 'Her' is a good commentary on the different roles that women play in a man's life, and the reverse, which is a single man's role in all of these women's lives.
I know people who are hesitant about seeing this film, because the concept seems weird. The only thing I can say is that it is way more than what it seems, and a chance should be given to what could potentially be a movie that you like a lot. If you're really THAT creeped out by the thought of the story, then you probably won't like 'Her'. But try using an open mind, because it could benefit you and the film industry. I hope that more creative, original films like 'Her' starting getting made more abundantly, rather than 4th or 5th installments of franchises that haven't been good for years.
Rating: 9.5/10
~Ryan Moncrief
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