Second Opinion – Her (2013)

Spike Jonze’s Her made a lot of waves upon its release in the US last year with glowing reviews across the board and now it has been released here in the UK, it’s easy to see why. It’s a gorgeous love story with great lead performances, sublime visuals and a creative sense of wonder. When you break it down it’s a movie that doesn’t try anything new, but there is so much to this movie that it doesn’t matter.

As the poster would suggest, Her is a love story and at its basic level, it’s relatively simple. A lonely guy meets a new girl, the pair flirt and have fun, become friends and eventually fall in love with their relationship being tested along the way. The core difference here is that the girl isn’t a real-life girl, she’s an operating system. Displaying elements of Black Mirror‘s Be Right Back, The Twilight Zone episode From Agnes – With Love and last year’s Robot & Frank, Jonze creates a world in which this doesn’t seem like a peculiar thing. This new operating system is more than just an autonomous voice that checks your emails, it’s a self-aware conscience that learns, adapts and even feels. This new discovery of life works for both characters as the shut-in recluse Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) realises there is more to life than his divorce and Samantha (the voice of Scarlet Johansson) finds out who she truly is in this world. Their relationship feels real, it feels fresh and different and it’s beautiful to an almost heart-breaking level.

Jonze’s script plays a huge part in this as Phoenix and Johansson talk like a real couple and their love feels genuine. As each scene rolls into the next, their love grows in a naturalistic way and nothing feels forced. You understand why these two people fall for each other – even if it is in bizarre circumstances. Furthermore, Jonze has created a futuristic world that is not too dissimilar to how our world may look in years to come. It’s not a hyper-realistic future a la I, Robot but a more realistic portrayal of where technology is heading. It’s smart choices like this that help you settle into the unusual love story presented.

Of course, this wouldn’t all be possible without the superb leading performances from Phoenix and Johansson. Given that he’s on camera (often alone) for 100% of the movie, Phoenix commands the screen with an absorbing presence that makes you warm to every inch of his character. There is something intrinsically likeable about Theodore and the sweetness of his performance makes his relationship with Samantha all the more beautiful. However, this wouldn’t have worked as just one way traffic, which is where Scarlett Johansson comes in. Her gorgeous, sultry voice is just one element of her character and she morphs from helpful friend, to curious being, to jealous lover to loving girlfriend. She brings a world of expression with just her vocal chords and it’s amazing just how much emotion she gets across without using any physicality. Amy Adams is almost unrecognisable from her overly-sexual performance in American Hustle as the struggling documentarian Amy and her relationship provides perfect counter-balance to Theodore and Samantha. Chris Pratt once again shows just how charismatic he can be and Olivia Wilde and Rooney Mara also shine in their small roles. Jonze’s script may be fantastic, but he needed actors who could bring it to life and he has that in this cast.

Sadly, Her isn’t quite perfect. For all of its brilliant ideas and excellent performances, Jonze can’t quite keep the pace flowing as the film roles into its third act. In an almost Return of the King move, Her often suffers from false endings by reaching natural conclusions but carrying on the story. On one hand it’s great as it gives us more time with these wonderful characters, but at the same time it is bound to agitate others. It’s a shame in a way as the first two thirds of the movie are perfectly constructed.

But not everyone will be bothered by the pacing issues and those who immerse themselves into this world will be gifted with one of the best love stories cinema has produced in quite some time. The relationship between Theodore and Samantha is stunningly gorgeous and often heart-breaking. Jonze’s script is cutting, clever and genuinely real in a surreal surrounding and the performances he directs are outstanding. In the most romantic month of the year, we’ve been treated to one of the best love stories ever told.