Her review

Set in the not-to-distant future, Her follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a professional love letter writer recovering from a messy divorce. When he buys a new advanced operating system he finds himself falling for the artificial intelligence named Samantha (Scarlett Johansson)…

Spike Jonze is known for his somewhat eccentric and allegorical films. Being John Malkovich was a barmy look into obsession and celebrity. Where the Wild Things Are explored escapism and the power of imagination. His new film her is a more romantic affair. It discusses ideas of love and identity that urge the viewer to think about the transformation of love in this new techno-obsessed world. There are echoes of Blade Runner and Andrew Nichols’ S1mone in Spike Jonze’s script. Her explores our relationship with technology and, with its radical growth, the marriage between the virtual and the real. Are we becoming more isolated in our obsession with technology?

The future world of Her is marvellously imagined. Jonze has paid close attention to the small details: the cyclical nature of fashion (1920’s is back!); The simplifying of phone technology; authentic hand-written letters made by a computer and of course Scarlett Johansson’s Siri 2.0. This attention to detail aids the central premise and allows its audience to reach a required level of suspended belief. The problem then is that the scope of the premise and the ideas explored here are perhaps underdeveloped. There is an unbalance between Jonze’s exploration of love in the modern world and his study of the limitless possibilities of technology. Samantha is an artificial intelligence aware of her own rapid growth. Throughout the film she finds herself developing everyday into something so advanced she almost becomes godlike. The ideas shared are fascinating but require further exploration.

Jonze has created some intricate and fascinating characters here. Phoenix and an in-form Amy Adams are brilliant as creative-types at sea in a cruel world that struggles to understand them. These are relatable characters, characters that inhabit the real world. It makes their desperate search for love in an electronic ecosystem all the more believable.

Luke Brookman