Empathy showcase at its best

Rating: 10/10 (21 September 2014)

The film is about a character named Theodore (played by Joaquin Phoenix) who at the beginning is shown to have a very prominent job as a letter writer for people who can't express their emotions themselves. He is very sad and mopey about his life because he is struggling with beginning a divorce with his wife Catherine (played by Rooney Mara). Theodore has shut down his emotions internally but it is also ironic that he has a job poetically expressing himself to strangers. Theodore is going to work and coming home when he stumbles upon a machine that is selling operating systems. Operating systems are a computer technology that goes into your ear so you can hear them speak. They are designed to evolve and are very empathetic. These machines often take on the role of being a person's best confidant but it's very uncommon for them to become a person's lover. The operating system can take on a male or female gender based on the person's preferences who sets it up. Theodore buys his and gives it a female gender. He is shocked when the system comes online to talk to him because she is very adaptable and knows him better than he knows himself. The course of their interaction together helps them both see that they want to take things to the next level. The operating system names herself Samantha (played by Scarlett Johansson) and begins to help Theodore see that it is a good thing to settle his divorce. She opens him up to a world filled with fun and laughter again as they go out on dates where he puts his phone in his pocket so she can experience the world with him. Things take a turn for the worst as Theodore's friend Amy (played by Amy Adams) is divorcing as well and she leans on him for comfort while Samantha explores the physical world. Samantha and Theodore take a good hard look at themselves and struggle to find out what they really need.
The theme of the movie is analyzing yourself internally while examining relationships in the outside world. This movie focuses on the fact that there are no boundaries to love. Even though in the world today we may think that a relationship between a man and his computer is something out of a science fiction movie this movie shows that love can get past all prejudices/barriers. Theodore is fighting for a reason to either stay in his marriage with Catherine or to begin to let her go. Samantha comes in and helps him deal with the parts of himself he was even scared to confront.
The movie is a story that unfolds before our eyes. This not only gives reference to the internal struggle that people have inside but to the outer struggle that is only seen when issues come up. Theodore is dealing with his sensitivity to the fact that he is in a relationship with an artificial intelligence. This opens his world up to unknown prejudices and makes him feel like he is walking on eggshells when he has to explain his relationship to closed minded people. This movie showcases that some people can be open to all types of love while others think in just the traditional way.
This movie characterizes the loneliness and heart break that Theodore feels while at the same time showcasing his growth in relation to his feelings of love. His character and thought processes change through his relationship with Samantha and the dynamic that her feelings takes him. He changes very slowly through this movie from a closed off individual to one who we find out has many dreams.
The lighting in this movie spotlights Theodore's face as he is going through his day and making decisions that will affect his life. The background is blurred out at times through the movie so that the audience finds themselves concentrating on what Theodore is going through. We also have bright lighting on him and have shots of him that are close-up on his face to show his reactions to what's going on in the world around him. The lighting also shows the background of his work and house to be cold when he is closed off in the beginning and then with very lively bright colors as he awakens to his relationship with Samantha. The angles really make the audience feel as if we are connected to Theodore. The other actors are drawn into the shots but we really come up close to Theodore and his body throughout the film.
The theme that is expressed which is analyzing yourself internally while examining relationships in the outside world is critical to the film. We, as viewers, progress through the film but knowing this theme helps us to get a passenger view of where this movie is going. We see him hunched over and sad at the beginning of the movie and just going through the motions. The good thing is that through the help of his operating system he reaches self-realization and finds peace in the decisions he has made. Samantha teaches him the greatest lesson that he never knew, which was he could set himself free. He didn't have to stay in a place that turned down love and accepted frustration. Samantha leaves at the end of the movie and we are left with Amy and Theodore contemplating their operating systems leaving. They end the movie with Amy's head on Theodore's shoulder as they lean on each other for support.