Good ideas and generally works but it is overlong and forces its emotional importance too much, ultimately undermining itself

Rating: Null/10 (14 February 2014)

I recently watched the Charlie Brooker film Be Right Back, which is part of the Black Mirror series (one which is flawed but I would still recommend to anyone) and I mention this because thematically that film has a lot in common with this film. Those who want to look smart will tell one that this film is a lift of Brooker's but this is not the case, although it is true that both deal with a person having an emotional relationship with a programmed personality. In Her we see online letter writer Theodore going through a divorce and feeling disconnected from the world. He purchases a new operating system which boasts an adapting and learning virtual personality, one which unsurprisingly he develops a chemistry with as she helps him work on his organization. Soon they are hanging out together and something approaching a relationship begins to develop.
The ideas and themes within this film are very interesting and mostly very well presented as it deals with the idea of virtual personalities and software that "knows" us and is able to adapt and learn to appeal to us and interact in a way that fits us personally. Perhaps once such an idea would have seemed far-fetched but nowadays we already have websites suggesting other products or people or films or music we might like based on our habits or purchases, so it is not a million years to go beyond this. So in terms of the concept of the film, I liked it and was already sold and having recently really enjoyed Be Right Back, I was looking forward to Her. As usual any film that is tied up in the Oscars will be subject to hype and I did try to ignore it but this is a film that I do think has been overpraised because, while it is a pretty good film, it has plenty of flaws and is not as good as you will have heard (and without a doubt if you are watching it in early 2014, you will have heard about how good it is).
The central ideas provide a link to those of us who make use of the internet, which is most of us. We have friendships going back a decade where we have never actually met the people involved; we have real-life relationships that have become virtual as they migrate onto Facebook status updates etc being the only point of contact as the real connection fades; some of us may even have connections with online characters who are no more real than their pixel visualization. The point is that the film will speak to many viewers in this sense but in terms of the romance side, it is probably aimed at those in their late 20's or older who have seen relationships start, change and then drift apart. So essentially I am target audience for this film but yet for me it didn't quite work as it thinks it did.
The first problem is the length because at 2 hours it is about 20 minutes longer than it needs to be and this is time that could easily have been found since there is a lot in here that doesn't add much. The bigger problem is that the film is intimate, vulnerable and personal – well, sorry, it being this way isn't a problem but it knowing that it is, is the problem and it forcing this aspect is the problem. Through the cinematography, the music, the performances and everything we have a film that really strives to be emotionally deep and impacting, rather than simply being that way. It is hard to describe but it starts to feel forced and artificial at several points and it blocks what it should be doing. What remains still works, still engages and still provides food for thought but it tries too hard for too long to convince you of its emotional impact that it overdoes it too easily. It is frustrating because the simplest moments of the film work the best but it soon pushes past this and loses the idea in its unique version of sentimentality. The direction, the look of the film and Phoenix's performance is part of this. The latter is a shame because on the face of it Phoenix is great – he is on screen alone for most of the time but works very well as a vulnerable soul finding a foothold – but around him the film and this performance combine to be excessive and I grew tired of his slumped sadness contrasted with smiling contentment. Johansson is better although without a body she will never be equally considered for the awards. Supporting roles range from the out of place (Wiig) through to the "nice money for a few minutes work" (Cox).
Her is one of the films hyped to greatness in the 2014 awards season and frankly it doesn't deserve it. The ideas behind it would work better if it were a shorter film which doesn't overplay its hand but lets it come out in more of a natural fashion. As much as I liked aspects of it and specific moments, it doesn't deliver as it should and it is disappointing for what it doesn't do just as much as it pleases for what it does. People talking about Be Right Back in the context of Her ripping it off are wrong in terms of their subject but correct in bringing up Brooker's film – those watching Her should be aware of it, but not because it is a copy but rather because it is the superior film of the two.