Love in the Time of Technology !!!

Rating: 9/10 (18 September 2015)

'Her' is primarily a film that has to be categorised as romantic drama which has elements of science-fiction and it does have something to say about the relationship between human beings and technology. It is based on an original screenplay written by Spike Jonze who also directs it. It stars Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt and the voice of Scarlett Johansson. The story consists of a protagonist named Theodore(Phoenix). Theodore is trying very hard to cope with his divorce. He has a job which is to write the messages in the greeting cards for his clients. His life's irony is that he eloquently expresses the feelings and emotions of his clients in his cards, but he can't do the same with his own emotions while facing real people in his life due to his fears and lack of confidence after his divorce. But he installs an operating system with Artificial Intelligence and gradually becomes emotionally attached to it.
In the above paragraph, I have mentioned that this film can be categorised as a romantic drama, as well as sci-fi, because Jonze seamlessly blends the themes to make a film that is introspective as well as deeply charming and affectionate.
It can be seen as just a romance/drama film once you ignore the fact that Samantha voiced by Johansson is an OS and assume that she is just a woman whose body remains invisible in the film. Then it becomes a compassionate film about a very introverted man who is struggling to get over the divorce with his ex-wife. His divorce has left him scarred and he fears that entering into a relationship with another woman might also lead to an eventual heartbreak . So he avoids any kind of commitment, so that he doesn't get hurt again. But then he meets this 'person' Samantha and she understands him and lets him conquer his fears and they help each other evolve and their relationship flourishes. Although they eventually go their separate ways, the split is amicable and Theodore and Samantha both make each other better individuals before letting go of each other.
The other way to view this film will be to see it as a sci-fi film which makes a commentary on the relationship between a man and an operating system. The film is based in the not so distant future and this isn't too far-fetched. Theodore gets his heart broken when his marriage falls apart and that experience fills him up with a lot of apprehension regarding relationships and he starts avoiding commitments. His relationship with the OS can be seen to be symbolise our relationship with technology in the 21st century. We restrict ourselves to this virtual world of the social media and technology instead of having to deal with real people and real relationships and possible pain. Technology gives us self esteem boosts like getting views on our youtube videos or getting likes on Facebook status updates or photos,etc. But Theo in the end realises that this relationship can never be as special as sharing your life with another human being as it lacks the exclusive nature of a relationship. So he ends up giving up his fears and accepting the fact that human interaction can lead to pain, but it can also lead to incomparable joy.
There are many films that try to make a social commentary about the gradual escalation in the effect technology is starting to have on our lives. But 'Her' is probably the most humanistic treatment of the subject that I have seen. Spike Jonze pays respect to the characters without judging them. Theodore is never made to look like a freak for falling in love with an OS. Jonze makes us understand him and completely relate with his reasons for doing so. 'Her' can be a great companion piece for 'Disconnect', another film about humans and technology which I loved.
Joaquin Phoenix is known for playing intense and somewhat manic characters. This might be his most understated performance and he drives the film due to the charm and likability that he lends to the protagonist. The voice acting by Scarlett Johansson is also fabulous. She made me believe in their relationship without even showing her face and that deserves admiration.
The cinematography is also brilliant. Red, white and few other colours are used to convey themes and the film has a dreamy, colourful look to it. The music is complementary to the film due to its understated zaniness.
'Her' as a whole is a beautiful, charming and humane film from Spike Jonze who is known for subjects that feel 'out of the box'. It works both as a romantic drama as well as sci-fi. Hugely recommended.