'Rohmer' meets 'Asimov' as 'man meets his operating system', in a semi-plausible, not-too-distant future

Rating: 7/10 (27 June 2014)

Spike Jonze's 'Her' has a touch of Asimov-inspired sci-fi but it's much more 'rom-com' overall. Set in the not so distant future, what I like about Jonze's vision is that it's quite plausible. There are no flying cars or aliens walking around but rather people even more addicted to their computers. The protagonist is Theodore Twombly (nicely played by a low key Joaquin Phoenix) who works as a copywriter of intimate correspondence for people unable to compose original tomes themselves. Twombly purchases the latest computer operating system (OS) infused with artificial intelligence. He assigns a female voice to his 'companion' who initially is designed to organize his day. But soon the artificial companion names herself 'Samantha' and proves to be quite engaging, becoming Twombly's confidante and 'lover' of sorts. Twombly in turns falls completely for his virtual girlfriend, and finds himself reacting less with human companions.
'Her' really is a robot without any corporeality. Normally, this would be a distraction since having only one person interacting with a voice-over does not work very well visually in a film. However, the dialogue that Jonze has written for Samantha is excellent and it's delivered impeccably by Scarlet Johannson (interestingly enough, the film was originally shot using actress Samantha Morton's voice but Jonze decided Johansson was far more effective in the role).
Although Jonze's idea of an operating system suffused with artificial intelligence is a clever one, it becomes apparent that the premise itself cannot carry an entire movie. Instead, the artificial relationship between Twombly and Samantha evolves into a satirical peek at how a relationship between two humans rises and falls. At first Samantha is completely supportive as Twombly confides in her about his impending divorce to his wife, Catherine, as well as going out on a failed date with an attractive woman he meets online. Later, they have a verbal sexual encounter and soon Samantha suggests utilizing an actual human surrogate to enhance their relationship. Twombly is unable to pretend with a stranger (Isbabella) who attempts to make love to him as Samantha whispers in his ear. Twombly begins to have his doubts about continuing with Samantha but his good friend Amy, encourages him to try and make a go of it, as she also has broken up with her husband and is now also interacting with another OS with artificial intelligence.
The relationship between Twombly and Samantha has a real ring of truth to it and reminds me of some of French director Eric Rohmer's films that dissect the complex relationships between men and women. Like Rohmer's artful narratives, some may find Jonze's dissection to be a tad bit lugubrious but for those who are patient, epiphanies can be uncovered, if one cares to look for them.
There is also some tension in Jonze's plot, as we're also still waiting to find out how Jonze resolves his tale between man and machine. The ending is a comic one when Samantha reveals that she's met another operating system based on the mind of a famous physicist, who she falls for. Before you know it, Samantha admits to Twombly that she's been talking with 8,316 others, of whom she has fallen in love with 641.
Samantha has no choice but to 'move on', leaving Twombly and Amy to commiserate with one another. The ending should be considered a relatively happy one in that Twombly has been apparently cured of his artificial intelligence infatuation and will probably be spending more time with humans in the foreseeable future. This could have been a much more dark, 'hit you over the head' type of film, with Jonze pointing out the dangers of modern day man being seduced by ever improving technology. Fortunately, he refuses to take such a route and opts for verisimilitude. Even an OS (echoing her human counterpart), is not adverse to embracing 'change'.
Ultimately, Jonze's initial premise of an artificial being evolving into something a lot more human, is really a one note idea. It's the relationship that develops between the two principals that hooks us to the end. Phoenix is really playing the 'straight man' here and it's Johannson, with her changing moods, that gives the film its broad flavor. As mentioned before, the compelling dialogue compensates for the lack of visual impact, when Phoenix and Johannson interact.
Something still must be said for the cinematography which creates a vision of the future which is not that much different than today. Jonze's 'Her' indeed is a cautionary tale but with the sagacious Samantha, there appears to be hope for humanity. Ironically, humans here don't take the lead; it's the machines—I feel sure that Samantha will ultimately end up with her 'equal', leaving humans to fend for themselves.