HER

US, 2013, 126 minutes, Colour.
Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt.
Directed by Spike Jonze.

It was not a surprise when Spike Jonze’s film won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay. Jonze made an impression some years ago with his films about identity, Being John Malkovich and Adaptation.

This time he goes into the not-too-distant future. It looks very much like our own time – and especially with people, so many people, walking the streets and talking into some kind of communications implements. To capture this atmosphere, the exteriors of the future city are those of Shanghai in the present, with some locations in Los Angeles.

And why the title, Her?

It is best to first consider the hero of the film, Theodore Twombley, Teddy/Ted to those close to him. The trouble is that there are not too many people close to him. At the opening of the film, we see him telling a story into a computer, a sad letter which we find he is composing for a client, working at the company bestletters.com. He has some contacts which with his fellow workers, especially Paul who always praises him and his work. But, as he goes home, we realise he is in the middle of a divorce, his wife wanting him to sign the papers. He has a son whom he loves. And that is about all.

Teddy sees a huge billboard advertising a computerised Operating Service, providing a voice and intelligence as some kind of assistant or companion. Teddy signs up and is given Samantha, Sam, who proves herself not only a companion, an intelligent friend, but someone who is exploring her own identity even though she is an artificial intelligence. Teddy begins to rely on her more and more, talking with her, listening to her, sharing her personality and vitality, and falling in love with her.

Most of the film is taken up with this growing friendship and love, a growing intimacy, sexual awareness. The film is unpredictable, the audience not sure where it might be going in terms of Teddy and his identity, his humanity, his love. And the audience is not sure how Sam will develop and how human she could become.

We are very conscious now of how people rely on mobile phones, texting, continually communicating with people who are not physically present and how that has repercussions on what they are actually doing, saying, sharing with the people who are with them. Her takes for granted this kind of communication (most people in the film, in the streets, in buildings, are busy talking but not to anybody physically with them). What will it be like in the future with the developments in technology and the developments in robotics as well as artificial intelligence? Will humans be the better for all of this? More human? Better communicators?

While these issues are being explored and the audience thinking about them, the film invites us to share Teddy’s life and experience, his ordinariness, his sense of failure, the support that Sam gives him and the power of her transforming him. And questions are raised about the personalities of the artificial creations, with all the semblance is of humanity and intelligence.

Joaquin Phoenix gives one of his best performances, being on screen for all the scenes, communicating by his body language, his silences, the intensity of his inner feelings, who Teddy is and what he is longing for. For most of the film, Phoenix is interacting with an off-screen voice. Scarlett Johansson provides the voice of Sam, and is compelling. Amy Adams plays a close friend, a sympathetic sounding board for Teddy.

Once more, Spike Jonze contributes an interesting and tantalising exploration of contemporary men and women, the technologies of the 21st century and the challenges, creative and potentially destructive, of how human beings can be.

1. The title, arresting? Her being a voice, a machine, simulating humanity?

2. The future, the look, colourful, the city (using Shanghai locations as well as Los Angeles) offices, apartments, the beach, outings? The songs, the musical score?

3. A plausible future, technology and development? Personalised? Those living alone, loners, the possibility of communication, talk, Her, with emotions as real and programmed?

4. Ted Twombly, Joaquin Phoenix and his performance, his face, close-ups, his work, writing the first letter, the tenderness, his age, experience, his past relationships and the collapse, his friends, sharing, alone, the letters and their effect, the recipients? Paul’s reaction in praise? At home, the technology, the voice commands, comfort?

5. Information technology, development, verbal commands, choices of music, emails? Friendship with Amy? Technology and the masculine voice, the forecast for the future, the metro, pregnancy photos? The screens, the games, the holograms? Sleep and voices? The dead cat in the dream?

6. Ted’s memories, his relationship, love, sex? Ted wandering, the city, the video panels and advertising voices? The advertisements for OS? AI, Ted’s needs, interviews online, the psychology of the voice, Her being initiated?

7. Sam, the voice, conversation, pleasant, her choice of her name, 180,000 names? The speed of the thinking, options per second? Hearing Ted’s tone, the explanations, her being intuitive, issues of DNA, Sam and her growing, evaluating, asking for information, looking through Ted’s hard drive, the deletions…?

8. Amy as a friend, chatting, sugar, her husband?

9. The computer game, the character, insulting tend, ‘fuckface’, the games and moves, conversations? Crass?

10. The setting of the date, awkward, Sam concerning the date, Amy and her husband, the plans, Amy’s own work, film and art, screen panels, performance, dramatising dreams?

11. The more intimate talk, Ted and his divorce, Sam being playful, describing the cafe family, and empathy with the passers-by, Sam and fantasy and the walk, on the beach, Ted observing people? The tensions?

12. The date, the setup, her personality, the chat, the initial kissing, Ted and his making? She seeing him as a creepy dude? His talk with Sam about his feelings? Her affirmation? Her feelings, her being hurt to think that this was only part of the pre-programming? The issue of the her wants, the change in Sam?

13. Sam and her ability to want, playing, the escalator, the beach? The ironic comments about physiology, Venus, elbows, sex, drawing, Sam’s composing music? The speed of developments for Sam?

14. Ruminating, thinking the past and his feelings, the letters changing? The further encounters with Paul and his date?

15. Amy, coming to talk with Ted, separating from Charles, the argument about the shoes, pernickety arguments, the separation?

16. His goddaughter, Sam and advising about the dress, the present, a delight?

17. Discussing about perfect moments? His talk with Amy, her interest in OS? Realising that Ted was in love?

18. Further development about the divorce and the interactions of Ted and his wife in the flashbacks, the mutual help in the early days, discussions, his wife’s reaction, as saying that he wanted a wife without having to deal with the realities?

19. Sam, the book club, realisations in the study physics, the body, all matter?

20. Sam and her finding a surrogate of herself, Isabel, the motivations, the relationship, the attempt of the sexual encounter, Ted uncomfortable,?

21. Isabel, the phone calls, the meeting, the talk, sex, speaking Sam’s words? Post sexual difficulties, Isabel humiliated despite tens reassurance, Sam needing time to think?

22. The talk with Amy, reading the letters, Sam being unsettled, developing faster? Ted closing the OS? Becoming more desperate, Sam and the groups, Sam talking to others, 8316 others? 641 in close relationship? Her ability to talk with others while being intimate with Ted?

23. Ted and his book of letters, the space between the words? His being unable to live in Sam’s world?

24. Ted talking with Amy, her situation, their friendship, feelings, the apology, Ted and Amy, two humans together?