Arts Editor
Typically, a man and a machine should not fall in love. However, director Spike Jonze’s latest film, “Her,” features a relationship between a man and his computer that defies all social precepts yet feels completely natural.
“Her” is a breathtakingly romantic film that combines an innovative science-fiction screenplay and outstanding acting. The film succeeds in creating a multidimensional romance between a man and his computer, which is further complemented by the aesthetically pleasing art direction.
“Her” is set in the not-so-distant future, where machines play a very active role in society. The story follows the life of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a talented writer who is going through a divorce. Seeking change, he buys a personal operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), with whom he falls in love.
“Her” boasts a recognizable cast, with every member delivering passionate performances. The biggest standout, though, is Johansson, who gives an extremely genuine and heartfelt performance while never actually appearing on camera. From voice-cracks to tone inflections, every nuance of Johansson’s speech adds to the personality of her character. Given such a bizarre role, the fact that Johansson pulls it off attests to her acting ability.
In an industry littered with clichés, “Her” stands out as an original idea, centered around the increasingly pervasive nature of technology, which renders both romance and creativity. Jonze paints technology in a more positive light and provides a believable depiction of what technolgy will be like in the future. This is refreshing compared to many science fiction films, such as “I, Robot” and “The Terminator,” which unconvincingly feature machines as the main antagonists.
The art direction in “Her” furthers the romantic atmosphere with a heavy emphasis on reds and oranges. From the color of shirts to the hue of the light, Jonze cleverly utilizes a warm color scheme to highlight the emotion felt between the protagonists.
Additionally, comic relief is added throughout the mainly serious, romantic plot. Featuring humerously offensive video games and a series of awkward and hilarious phone-sex conversations, “Her” continuously evokes laughter from the audience. The witty personalities of both Twombly and Samantha also succeed in creating comic dialogue.
Numerous scenes in “Her,” at first glance, come off as overlyand almost unnecessarily sexual. However, to the targeted viewer, these scenes make the central romance seem more genuine. The awkward circumstances of many of these scenes also help emphasize the emotional rut that Twombly has fallen into.
Extremely emotional acting blends with a heart-wrenching storyline in “Her” to create touching characters in an original film. Jonze’s creative genius is brought to life through Johansson’s voice, resulting in “Her” easily being one of the best films of the year.
“Her” is rated R and is playing in theaters nationwide.
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