A Cautionary Tale

Rating: 7/10 (8 February 2016)

In "Her" we find ourselves in what is certainly the future but no idea how far this future is removed from us. Director Spike Jonze creates this stylized idea where technology and slick design are intertwined. The idea that what is happening now with smart phones, where people seem to disconnect from each other while connecting with their social media feed is taken to an extreme. Everyone is completely absorbed in technology and isn't paying attention anymore to their social life.
The protagonist, writer Theodore, expertly played by Joaquin Phoenix, works at beautifulhandwrittenletters.com a service that , well , sends personal letters to customers but completely congruent with this new world, the writing is not done by hand but by a computer and Theodore just quotes his text to it.
When Theodore installs a new revolutionary Operating System, he falls in love with the OS, voiced by the raspy and sexy sounding Scarlett Johansson. As we said before , the connection with technology and disconnection from the human taken to the extreme. The end result of this infatuation with technology is emptiness and loneliness. I feel this film brings a warning. A cautionary tale we should carefully listen to.
Visuals from director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema (Interstellar , Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) are excellent. A visual feast coupled with a strong plot premise makes for enjoyable watching. It misses that little edge though, a little bit is lacking.
All in all, a solid 7,5/10 in my book.