Her Movie Review

How do I get by in January? Simple, I just watch great movies from December. Here's my review for Spike Jonze's love story Her...

Her is directed by Spike Jonze and stars Joaquin Phoenix, and is not your ordinary love story. The film follows the main character Theodore, a love-letter writer yet a man struggling with his own love-life, just coming out of an 8 year relationship with his ex-wife. He purchases an operating system and names her Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, and the 2 form a relationship together.

Her is a unique, cute and an excellent movie and I loved it. So often nowadays love stories are either miserably predictable or create romantic comedies; my most hated movie genre. However, the story with Her is completely different and I think it is my favourite romance film.

A story about a man who falls in love with an operating system can seem far-fetched when described in the way I just did, but I found myself 100% emotionally invested in it to the point where I shed a few tears towards the end. The reason why you can invest yourself within these characters is due to the excellent world creation. Based in Los Angeles in the near future, I found myself beholding the world in which the film took place and I completely bought the location. I could see myself living in a world like that, thus I could also see a relationship like that happening between a human and an OS.

The direction from Spike Jonze is spot on this time and is very still and character centred. The movie's colour palette is fantastic as well. There is a huge range with the colours that are used and had they been flashy, the location wouldn't have sold. The colours used are not too flashy and make the location look beautiful yet real at the same time.

Joaquin Phoenix inhabits his character Theodore so well and proves once again just why he is one of the best actors we have working today. He is completely nomination worthy throughout the movie and I really did like his character, even if he was in practically every frame of the film. There were times where he would joke with Samantha leading to a genuine reaction of laughter from me, whereas other times he'll be delivering a beautiful monologue about how he is emotionally unfulfilled in life and that he struggles to open up to his partner when in a relationship leading to a genuine reaction of tears.

Amy Adams is very good with her time on screen as are other actors and actresses like Olivia Wilde, Chris Pratt and Rooney Mara, who play characters who are related to the overall progression of the story. Scarlett Johansson, is perfect choice for Samantha. If I ever dated an OS with a female voice, ScarJo would be the way to go! Using only her voice, she utilises the excellently written dialogue to flesh out her character to the point where you stop seeing her as a computer but as a being with emotions and desires.

I thought that Her handled perspective really well plus had some provocative social commentary in their about where our society is going in terms of technology. However, the film's most impressive feat is the fact that I was so invested within this relationship to the point where I could react emotionally to it. Bare in mind it's set in the future and is between a man and a computer. Yeah I know. Trust me and see for yourself...

A few minor complaints I have is that I would have liked to have seen more from some of the other supporting cast members and I think that the film's finale could have been wrapped up slower than it was.

Nevertheless, Her is excellent. It's bold, cute and unique and really got under my skin. It's fantastic. It's one I definitely recommend you see:


Rating - A


1 sentence summary - As romance movies go this is as good as they get; unique, funny and heart-warming with a relationship I was fully invested in!


Thanks for reading,
Matt