Her

+/-

A futuristic story about a lonely writer and his software companion, that tells a timeless truth about relationships.

Information about the movie, at the bottom of the post

 

General impression:
A poetic movie, but rather boring for those who like tightly woven stories, efficiently edited for pace and emotional impact. Some extra trimming of fluff would have made a difference, turning the movie not only shorter, but also less sluggish. A story about a depressed man separated from his wife cannot be too dynamic, but the movie often feels as if it’s in slow motion, and this is probably its one essential flaw. On the other hand, the story is beautiful. At first glance, it is a sci-fi scented love story between a human and an advanced operating system. However, if you’re into spirituality, by the end of the movie you’ll recognize familiar ideas that are not obvious from the beginning. For example, Theodore, the main character, is basically learning to let go of the past and the void created by the current absence of that past. The OS, Samantha, represents more than just a piece of software. It/She is a symbol for the human spirit – ever learning, ever expanding, connecting, free, nonjudgmental. Through his relationship with immaterial Samantha, Theodore reactivates feelings he had pent up, and learns the lesson he needs in order to move on to a new stage in his life. The main idea of this story is that relationships help us grow, evolve, want more, become more. Sometimes we outgrow relationships, and our paths diverge, but this does not invalidate our love, nor does it mean we’re losing. With an attitude of consciousness and gratitude, we allow ourselves to become larger, integrative, we can connect and spread our love and renewed self to others. That’s pretty new agey 🙂

Highlights:
The story is open to interpretation 🙂

Downside:
The movie, as a whole, dilutes the story a bit too much.

Would I see it again? – Not soon

My Rating (1 to 10): 8

Recommended: Yeah, but it depends a lot on your expectations

Suggestion:
If you’re bored after 30 minutes, it doesn’t get more dynamic, so you can stop watching.

♦

 

Information about Her

Year of release: 2013
Director: Spike Jonze
Writer: Spike Jonze
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson (voice), etc.
For more information on “Her”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb