Available on DVD and Blu Ray -
“Her” - (2013) – In this ever-so-slightly futuristic Drama from Director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation), Joaquin Phoenix’s lovelorn writer falls in love with “Sam”- his new operating system designed to meet his every social (and sexual) need.
There are indeed a healthy amount of deftly-handled, heartfelt sequences while the film effectively conveys a thought-provoking commentary on the state of modern relationships and how technology has actually worked adversely against human contact. I understood and somewhat appreciated it’s messages, though a few too many serious-minded dramatic moments came across as unintentionally goofy and outright awkward for my sensibilities.
Phoenix is in fine form here- I’ve never been much of a fan, though his “Theodore” is an amenable sort. Scarlett Johansson supplies the voice of Sam, while Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo 2011) is featured in only one extended scene as Theodore’s ex-wife. There simply wasn’t enough of Amy Adams’s sympathetic friend, while Chris Pratt (Guardians Of The Galaxy) was pretty much wasted. Have fun recognizing the various other celebrity voices sprinkled throughout the film as chat room attendees and additional Operating Systems.
Hoyte Van Hoytema’s (Let The Right One In, The Fighter) cinematography is aesthetically pleasing throughout and it would be nice to speak with Scarlett Johannson rather frankly whenever one fancies the notion, though I hope the high-waisted cinch pants fad featured throughout the film never catches on…
Ultimately, Her just wasn’t my cup-o-tea, though I can understand why so many have fallen in love with it- they felt it was “different.” I just couldn’t fully invest into the premise and found myself irritated with that lingering “I’ve seen this before” feeling… turns out it was the similarly-premised, 1984 comedy, "Electric Dreams".
7.5 out of 10
Director: Spike Jonze
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, Amy Adams, Portia Doubleday and Olivia Wilde
Run-Time: 126 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for language, sexual content and brief graphic nudity
No comments:
Post a Comment