Reviews & Ratings for
Her (2013)

Set in the not-too-distant future, it tells the story of Theodore who finds himself falling in love with 'Samantha', an advanced operating system voiced by the sultry Scarlett Johansson. She makes you believe she really is a computer with a heart. This movie was directed in a way that the person watching gets consumed by the story, the characters, and the situations. In a word Brilliant..!!

Finally a futuristic movie with no fancy flying cars! With 78 wins and 174 nominations including an Oscar for Best Writing and Original Screenplay, The Golden Globe and the Academy award of Science Fiction, Her is a undoubtedly a remarkable postmodern science fiction Her, essentially, revolves around the life of Theodore Twombly (Joaquan Phoenix), a lonely, desolate and talented writer who works in a firm called BeautifulHandwrittenletters.com. His job is to write letters on behalf of his customers to their loved ones. Keyboards have become obsolete, Life has become much dependent on technology and so we see Theodore dictating the words of his letters while the alphabets appear on the screen of his desktop (imagination much?).The movie is set in a not-so-distant Los Angeles which replicates a much enhanced version of today’s world. It lacks actual face-to-face human interactions, liveliness or ‘life’ and instead Jones’ paints a drearier scenario where in everyone in spite of being around each other is alone and preoccupied with their phones.(Scarier? but so relatable!)In the movie, our hero is in a post split up phase where his estranged wife Catherine(Rooney Mara) has left him. His life is as miserable as it could with anonymous phone sex chats with crazy kittens (literally!) to checking out pictures pregnant nude celebrities .All this points to his vulnerability and escapism. Then enters Samantha (Scarlette Johanson), an advanced operating system-cum-emotional partner that evolves into an intuitive, separate entity which grow through her experiences. Theodore’s fascination for his new operating system grows and ultimately he falls in love with his computer (wait! She is not just a computer).There are complex questions of corporeality that the movie raises. After all, it’s her voice that he falls in love, it’s her intellect that wooes her. There’s pure love and much more. Her is a visual treat!

An insightful love story of the modern world that made the audience feel weird and also weep. It reflects the future generation where normalcy in romance and life is least expected. It depicts how a robot is also worthy of being loved and that, might turn out to be the future of our planet. The story revolves around a man Theodore Twombly, who works as an employee of a company that writes personalized love letters for special occasions. He believes in love and the power of it in an eternal perspective but later when his girlfriend decides to leave him, he ends up in a sad, closed space, still continuing his job. He also ends up lacking creativity in writing letters because he doesn’t feel love anymore. He thereby purchases a well-developed AI operating system to help with it. The voice in the system names herself Samantha and proves to be worthy of her presence to him. They spend a lot of time together and the relationship becomes more intimate. Theodore falls in love with Samantha and never discloses about it to his friends. Despite a series of misunderstandings and fights, they still look out for each other and Theodore forgets the fact that Samantha is not a real person. He also learns that everyone with access to AI Samantha has fallen in love which triggers his human senses and labels her as disloyal. One day, Theodore becomes aware that all the AI operating systems are being shut down and Samantha will be too, which puts him through the worst of situations and finally let Samantha go. He further meets his friend Amy, who has also been in a relationship with an AI, and both comfort each other for their terrible losses. The movie ends with a question on whether the two human beings with similar love stories, Theodore and Amy reunite or not. This movie is an interpretation of the nearest future we all are about to face. As we can already witness lonely people engrossed in electronic gadgets, the day where they fall in love with one is not very far. Although the movie beautifully depicts the need for love and affection in every individual, it also ends on a very frightful note because a future with an OS partner is not fun to think of.

The biggest reason why I love this movie so much is not just because of the great plot but the fact that Joaquin Phoenix gave a masterful performance that was well worthy to win any best actor award. A truly must see film and by far the best film of 2013, Even beats a majority of the crap I've seen so far in 2014.

'Her' is an extremely engaging,awe-inspiring and at the same time intriguing plot that is wholly supported by the brilliant performance of Joaquin Phoenix and the seductive yet warm voice-over by Scarlett Johansson. The movie subverts various ideas,notions and convictions. It makes our faith in humanity,tumble and toss while it toys with our perception of technology and its limitations.
In modern age where alienation,depression and loneliness is almost a disease,an operation system(OS) backed by artificial intelligence(AI) forms the loving partner for Theodore,a writer who is suffering the aftermath of a divorce. Theodore does a quirky job too! He writes customized,personal letters for other people who are unable or not interested to do so for the ones they care. Against this indifferent world of sterile emotions,Theodore is constantly accompanied and attended by his OS,Samantha who goes on to become a romantic partner-loving,pacifying,curious. Samantha guides him to begin new relationships,and later tries to sexually arouse him through verbal lovemaking,as well as providing a surrogate.
At the point when Theodore is completely on the verge of submitting himself to this artificial presence,his notions are shattered when the OS leave their job of human interaction. The human emotions in Theodore are completely overhauled and then crumbled. Such engaging is the screenplay that out tensions rise and fall with Theodore. Technologically sound, and with the powerful voice-over from Johansson Her is an other-worldly experience which leaves one jolted long after the movie is over.