Bittersweet Movie On an Ontological Theme

Rating: 9/10 (27 February 2014)

HER is an intense piece of work, with a fabulous central performance by Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore, a lonely writer who spends all day at the computer writing letters on other people's behalf. This helps deflect attention away from the meaninglessness of his own life, living alone in a sparse apartment in a Los Angeles tower block, and unable to come to terms with his impending divorce from his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara). He invests in an Operating System as a way of counteracting loneliness, and develops a passionate relationship with Samantha, the voice of that system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). This ingenious situation provides the pretext for director Spike Jonze to embark on a searching analysis of what being "human" represents, and whether it can be separated from the "virtual" life of the computer, personal listening device, smartphone or operating system. Hoyte van Hortema's stunning photography of the Los Angeles landscape conjures up a forbidding world of gleaming yet soulless skyscrapers that dwarf the human beings on the sidewalks. The interior sets are colorful, stylish yet soulless, especially Theodore's apartment and workspace. Both the interiors and exteriors conjure up a world devoid of human contact, where people seldom if ever disclose their feelings face to face; and when they do, they inevitably misunderstand one another. Hence their only refuge is to talk to their operating systems, either on a personal or desktop device. There is one remarkable shot in the film, as Theodore sits on the steps outside a subway station, where Jonze's camera pans the passengers coming out of the subway, and all of them are engaged in conversations with their devices. No one, it seems, has sufficient courage to talk face-to-face. Theodore enjoys some moments of intense pleasure talking to Samantha, yet in the end he has to consider some serious ontological questions. HER is a remarkable film, whose serious subject-matter, combined with stunning designs and cinematography, make it a worthy candidate for an Oscar.