Movie Review - Her

''The past is just a story we tell ourselves.'' 

Hello friends, how are you doing? 

This week, I bring you an extremely interesting movie called "Her".

As simple as the title might be, the complexity of the story evokes all kinds of emotion throughout the movie.

Movie notes:

Director:

Spike Jonze

Writer:

Spike Jonze

Actors: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson 

Year: 2013

Plot:

A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.

Overall analysis:

"Her" is one of the best movies I've ever seen in my life, so far. 

 

It's a smart science fiction story, addressing important issues about today's society, such as the loneliness epidemic of the 21st century, the interaction between man and machine, relationship concepts, the way we cooperate with loss, the stress of the everyday world, the lack of emotional connection between humans... 

 

And the most interesting one, with all the noise that surrounds us, loneliness is what we hear most... 

Black Mirror is the series that comes to mind as soon as I think of this movie.

It's an excellent and deeply disturbing science fiction TV series from the UK that presents us the future of today: the human fascination with technology that make our lives chaotic. 

 

Can humans fall in love with machines? Can we erase all human interaction and start living only with technology?

How can we cope with the constant evolution of Artificial Intelligence and how does that affect our way of understanding each other?  

 

Are we living in a simulation or did we decide to simply erase the human experience and replace it with the tactile version of our phones/computers?

 

So many questions and so many possibilities come to mind as you emerge on the tortuous universe of Her.

Her is a unorthodox love-story, if you can get your head around the idea of an operating system having its own will and way of living life. Does it ring a bell? Can you think about today's world and see how similar this story sounds?

Theodore (played by Joaquin Fenix) , the film's protagonist, a shy man who makes a living writing love letters to strangers, decides to install an operating system on his computer. That same system, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), wakes Theodore up to the world around him: from playing video games with him, to organizing his emails, to helping him venture out more, to questioning love and relationships... 

This film is a love letter to all those who wonder about the evolution of technology, about human and relational evolution between us all and the traditional concepts of what is or is not acceptable between man and machine.
How far can we go? Are we ruining the notions of relationships between humans with the arrival of technology in our lives?

Why do we feel so lonely inside? 

Can machines feel the same we do? Can they love? Can we evolve as fast as they can?

Scenarios and colour:

For a dramatic and melancholic movie, the colours choices were great.

We are faced with the sadness that is loneliness, surrounded by colour and beauty all around us. This contrast between human emptiness and the beauty of nature is brilliant. 

The visual impact, for me, was superb.

Soundtrack:

The music made for this move takes my breath away and fits perfectly with the ambiance. 

I can even say that in a way, deepens the meaning of the movie.

 

The soundtrack encapsulates the reflection of the film and the revelations revealed throughout it, focusing on the use of subtle piano notes and other simply delightful sound effects that capture every single moment beautifully.

 

Arcade Fire managed to transcribe all the emotions of the story into a perfect musical form.

Should you watch it? Is it worth it?

I advise you to watch this movie if you like to study human behaviour, transhumanism, human relationships, the adversity of modern times, ...

 

Give it a try and let yourself be involved in a simple, yet complex reflection of modern society.

I genuinely hope you like this quick movie review. 

Have a lovely day,

Adriana.