One of the most anticipated movies of this award season was Spike Jonze‘s Her [starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson], and according to critics who saw it at the New York Film Festival, it did not disappoint. Jonze has always been known for his eclectic and varied films, and Her is another jewel in the collection. When the trailer for the film first came out, it was clear that this wouldn’t be your typical futuristic technology/artificial intelligence movie.
In most of those films, the AI turns out to be bad guys, and the humans are usually trying to save the world and/or protect the world from them. However, all the reviews for Her state unanimously and across the board that the future in Jonze’s world is incredibly realistic and actually possible. And more than that, he’s managed to make a story about a man falling in love with his artificially intelligent operating system realistic.
The review from the Hollywood Reporter reads, “Visionary and traditional, wispy and soulful, tender and cool, Spike Jonze’s Her ponders the nature of love in the encroaching virtual world and dares to ask the question of what might be preferable, a romantic relationship with a human being or an electronic one that can be designed to provide more intimacy and satisfaction than real people can reliably manage.”
The reviews also praise the acting, with the Variety review stating, “The courtship scenes between Theodore and Samantha (including a freewheeling day trip to Venice Beach) are among the movie’s most disarming, with Phoenix disappearing as deeply under the skin of Jonze’s wounded, sensitive alter-ego as he did the roiling caged beast of “The Master.”
Right now, Warner Brothers is planning a slow roll-out for the film, and with these reviews, Her could end up becoming one of the best movies of this year.
Are you guys excited to see Her? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.