The Sad, Sad Case of Theo Twombley

Rating: Null/10 (26 August 2019)

On the surface, "Her" is a dystopian nightmare set in a future when human contact is being replaced by bots and "Operational Systems." But at its heart, the film is about right now where technology is already de-humanizing us on a daily basis.
Some of the most effective scenes in the film were the filler scenes where we see bystanders talking and texting on their phones as they are completely oblivious to other people. Such is the case especially for the protagonist, Theo Twombley, whose career is a "Miss Lonelyhearts" writer preparing fictitious letters to warm up the lives of those who have lost their way.
Joaquin Phoenix is outstanding in the role of the Everyman protagonist Theo, whose live is changed when he strikes up a relationship with a computer-generated "voice" that substitutes for real human contact. After completing a ridiculously short questionnaire, Theo is linked up to "Samantha," who proceeds to take over his life.
This provocative film raises the essential question of whether we are running our technology, or if the gadgets have taken over our lives. It was fascinating to follow the thread of the conversations of Theo and Samantha and see how the voice was changing his life. From the schlub Theo's perspective, he may have felt that his life was changed for the better. But what was clear to him was that he was not in control. While Samantha may not have been physically present on the dance floor with Theo, it was she who was doing the leading.