Her
2013
***
Director: Spike Jonze
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt, Matt Latscher
Spike Jonze's fourth film offers another clever and fantastical premise, which doesn't veer too far from Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, his two collaborations with Charlie Kaufman. Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, who ghost writes personal letters for other people but is poor at articulating his own emotions. Theodore is about to divorce his wife when he purchases a new voiced operating system, named Samantha. Samantha starts as his personal assistant, but gradually becomes his advisor, friend, and lover. Is this a commentary on modern people, who prefer to capture precious moments rather than actually experience them, or who spend more time with their gadgets than they do with their fellow human beings? These questions become somewhat irrelevant when the OS has more personality than the human protagonist. This drama comedy offers an interesting concept and strong performances, but it doesn't exactly engage the heart or the mind. The stylishly futuristic Los Angeles was created by shooting some parts in Shanghai. Jonze won an Academy Award for his screenplay.
