Her Holds Up

Rating: 10/10 (3 June 2019)

Science fiction has a rough tendency to not age well. While the seemingly limitless potential of the genre has lead to many imaginative ideas, it can also be a death trap which nearly guarantees that some aspect of the film will not hold up. A film like Alien, for instance, surely felt futuristic at the time, but lost all believability as soon as the film's computer technology became laughably out-of-date. Alien is still regarded as a great film, but others are not so fortunate, and for a while it was debated whether the 2013 sci-fi, romantic drama Her would fall into the ladder or the former.
For those who are unaware, the film centers around a writer named Theodore (played by Joaquin Phoenix), who, during the final breaths of his dying marriage, discovers and developes a strange affection for a highly advanced, artificially intelligent operating system named Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). The two get to know each other, fall in love, and go through the typical ups and downs of a relationship with a tinge of existential frustration. Although it was critically acclaimed and went on to garner numerous awards, a select few were quick to write it off as a novelty which would wear away as the times caught up.
With technology advancing more rapidly than ever, the near future envisioned by writer/director Spike Jonez has arguably arrived. That being said, it's safe to say that Her will not be showing its age any time soon.
One of the film's most notable aspects is it's distinctive approach to worldbuilding. You don't get any sort of indication telling you exactly when Her takes place, which essentially served as an expiration date for films like Back to the Future part II. Instead, it opts for an unspecified year in the "slight future," keeping the film grounded to the present. It avoids the desire to shove sci-if imagery down the viewers throats and finds more subtle ways to convey futuristic vibes, mainly through its exuberant color palate and mesmerizing soundtrack. Many viewers will find this approach more immersive and certainly more prone to age than your average Star Trek romp.
That's not to say that the film doesn't have forward-thinking ideas, but at no point do they outstage the characters and story, rather they are a tool used to elevate them by conveying emotions and providing character insight. In one sequence, Her takes the idea of holographic video games one step further, using the game itself as a visual analogy for Theodore's life dissatisfaction, as his avatar struggles to overcome a literal hill. This example highlights the film's creative approach to visual storytelling which audiences can appreciate for years to come.
Another reason it's so effective has to do with the dialogue, as it is amongst the most outstanding in contemporary cinema. The film simply feels alive; even the inanimate computer characters feel like real, breathing humans. Every single conversation is organic and engaging, bearing the unmistakable mark of of top-notch craftsmanship without sacrificing the delicacy of authentic human interaction, making it no question why the film deservedly took home the academy award for screenwriting.
The film has an undeniably enticing quality to it, one that is aided by the immensely talented cast. Despite playing a fairly reserved character, Joaquin Phoenix has great chemistry with most everyone in the film, especially Scarlett Johansson, who completely sells the role of Samantha with her voice talent alone. The audience truly feels for their relationship, making it all the more understandable why Phoenix's character grows so attached to her.
This leads into one of the film's strongest recurring themes. Through the lense of Theodore, we see a reflection of ourselves and how technology is causing us to lose touch with reality, something which will only continue to become more true as technology becomes more prevalent. This was by no means a revelation in 2013, and, admittedly, it has become somewhat tired in today's media, yet Her still manages to convey it in a way that is not only unique, but timelessly compelling.
This is, of course, only my personal reading into one of the film's many intricate themes, so if you have yet to see it, I would encourage you to do so and interpret for yourself. Her is a masterpiece, a testament to weIl-made cinema, and if it's been a while, I'd highly recommend rewatching it. You might find that it has only gotten better with age.