Theodore Twombly works at a company which provides ‘handwritten’ letters on behalf of loved ones. Theodore composes some of the most beautiful, heartfelt prose; showing a touching sensitivity on behalf of others. However, his own personal interactions are limited, particularly since his split with his wife. Though she left a year earlier, Theodore has refused to sign divorce of getting involved with someone, he buys a new operating system for his computer that comes with an interactive, self-aware voice program. He chooses a female voice named Samantha (Scarlett Johannson). Immediately, she sets about helping Theodore organize his life in ways he wouldn’t have been able to do. It’s not long before Samantha is excited to learn more about Theodore, and what makes humans tick.
Theodore finds himself drawn to Samantha’s calm voice and thoughtfulness. He even turns down potential dates to spend more time with Samantha. When she starts to display behavior that suggests she would like to be more than just friends, their lives both change forever. Making a film about, on the face of it, a man falling in love with his O/S is a difficult task to begin with, but to mix in some sci-fi, leaving you in awe of the technological concepts, but warmed by the romance of it all.
The way Jonze has written it, not only do you find the human/AI relationship believable, but you’re drawn to it, feeling excitement when they do, sadness when it’s expressed. Samantha is such a well developed character, it’s very easy to imagine what she might look like; she certainly seems like more than a voice in Theodore’s pocket.
Over the last decade, Joaquin Phoenix has proven himself to be an interesting, talented actor. Here, he is given the challenge of driving the action. As the slightly awkward Theodore, he does a great job of being a convincing (without becoming whiny) as a depressed geek looking for companionship. Props to Scarlett Johannson, who comes across as a loving, caring, soul. It’s easy to understand why a man like Theodore would fall for her. The emotion Johannson is able to generate is all the more amazing because she replaced Samantha Morton in post-production.
Intelligent, thought provoking and sincere, Her takes a different look at romance and commitment, but also asks some interesting questions about how technology will affect how we approach relationships in the future.
Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Warner Bros. 1080p transfer captures the occasionally dreamy looking palette very well. Black levels are appropriate throughout and flesh tones look perfect. There are no compression issues to speak of and the film exhibits the fine detail you would expect from a recent release.
While not particularly aggressive, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track captures this atmospheric film very well. The upfront dialogue is clean and crisp, while atmospheric effects and the score by Arcade Fire are appropriately dynamic. Essentially, this is an audio track that integrates well with the other elements of the film.
English, French and Spanish subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
- The Untitled Rick Howard Project(HD, 24:19) In this short film by Lance Bangs, we are given a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Her. All the aspects of production are covered, which is a real treat for fans of Spike Jonze’ work.
- Her: Love in the Modern Age (HD, 15:10) Another Lance Bangs production, talks to a group of well known people who have just seen Her, about relationships. The group includes Bret Easton Ellis, James Murphy, and others.
- How Do You Share Your Love with Somebody (HD, 3:56) A visual essay. It really could have been taken from The Untitled Rick Howard Project.
- DVD of the film.
- UV Digital Copy.
