Her (2014)

In spite of its futuristic feel, the scary thing about Her is that it's not that hard to believe.
Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely almost-divorcé, falls in love with a funny, intelligent woman who sounds exactly like Scarlett Johansson and they embark on an affair of romantic getaways, strolls by the beach, and a fetish for abnormally high-waisted trousers. The only catch is that Samantha is an operating system: a simulated, specially designed piece of technology, custom-made to suit Theodore's every need. In a Los Angeles bathed in sun and smog, Spike Jonze has created a world of hazy screens, where emotions and electronics are interchangeable and every interaction is first and foremost a transmission.

This is not by any means an apocalyptic vision. It just looks uncannily like a perfume advert, or a city created exclusively by Apple. Jonze has crafted a sterile, pastel urban experience; a more luminous version of the Tokyo his ex-wife Sofia Coppola shot in Lost in Translation (2004). Its proximity to our own style of city living is what makes this surreal: it is familiar and yet touched by a strange sense of disconnect. There is no gritty underbelly; no discrepancy in economics or values: everyone in Her is clean, good-looking, and plugged in. 

The premise of the romantic narrative is clever and sharply rendered. Phoenix plays Theodore as vulnerable, but not pitifully so, and his relationship with Samantha evolves through a combination of humour and pathos. The former is essential to the film's success: without laughter, this might all become a bit contrived. As it is, Theodore and Samantha make a charming pair, and Johansson's voice-work is excellent, although perhaps too breathy towards the end. Jonze chose probably the most recognisable husky tones in Hollywood to ventriloquize his OS, which makes Samantha's constant references to her bodiless predicament a little absurd. We all know exactly what she looks like.

There are a lot of wonderful things about Her. I'm so happy Karen O's track 'The Moon Song' has been nominated for an oscar as it perfectly captures the dreamy otherworldliness of this film, which always seems on the brink of floating off into the ether. Also look out for a great cameo from Kristen Wiig as a caller with an unusual sexual predilection. However, Jonze seems to lose his bottle a bit when it comes to tying things up. Rooney Mara and Amy Adams are both great actresses but they don't really have a lot to do in fairly underdeveloped roles. The conclusion also feels like a cop out after the incisive, poignant observations about love and loneliness that resound in the first half. Perhaps appropriately, in his determination to breathe life into technology, Jonze's vision of humanity becomes just another screen, an insubstantial projection that fades with the credits.