Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Movie Review: Her

Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is a middle aged man who makes his living writing soulful letters for other people in LA. Heartbroken and lonely, and undergoing a painful divorce, he bonds with a new, advanced operating system, whose personalized, humanoid avatar Samantha immediately connects with him. Samantha is smart, sensitive and funny, and as days go by, he finds himself falling madly in love with her.

And as she gets to know him and the world better, through the omnipresent camera that he diligently places in his pocket, and the ear piece that allows him to talk to her, she finds she has feelings of her own. She falls in love, she worries about him, she misses him when he is asleep, and she longs to have him touch her.
 
They make out.
 
One day, Samantha, in a desperate bid to feel touched and loved by Theodore, tries to hook him up with another girl, through which she wants to live out their hitherto virtual fantasies. It doesn't work out, but Samantha and Theodore quickly reconcile to their unique situation. Life seems perfect.
 
Until, one painful day, Theodore realizes Samantha isn't his alone. She is simultaneously talking to 1800 other people, 640 of whom she is madly in love with...
 
With a power packed performance by Joaquin, "Her" is also supported beautifully by Amy Adams, the hot Olivia Wilde and the very pretty Rooney Mara. But, for me, the star of the movie, undoubtedly, with her sexy, seductive voice, and her caring, gentle, understanding nature, spiked with shades of craziness and jealousy, is Scarlett  Johansson, the voice of Samantha.
 
Spike Jonze excels with his direction and screenplay, the camera work is brilliant and the movie enthralls you every second. This is a movie you cannot miss; for its brilliance and the relevance to our screwed up world!
 

No comments: