Spike Jonze created a piece so profound and thought-provoking, not winning the gold for either Best Picture or Best Original Screenplay would be an Academy mistake. There definitely were some Oscar snubs this year, but “Her” is among the well-deserved film nominations.
“Her” is the complex story of the imaginative, professional letter composer, Theodore Twombly, who upon divorce finds himself in an unusual romance with his new, advanced computer intelligence operating system, Samantha.
Although “Her” is in the not-so-far-off future, it’s hardly science fiction in relation to present day humanity and the always evolving world of technology.
Joaquin Phoenix does wonders at capturing the realism of Theodore. Jonze said during an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Redditt, upon meeting Phoenix, that he knew right away he wanted him in his movie.
What may originally trigger creepy and weird vibes coming from the odd situation Theodore becomes wrapped into, the audience becomes attached to his character as we see his true and beautiful sensitive soul open up to those around him.
The most intriguing relationship is the one Theodore develops with Samantha.
Samantha, who was originally voiced by Samantha Morton, was recasted and in the film is voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
Recasting could have perhaps made all the difference in the success of this film. Samantha is more than a voice.
It’s a shame the Academy looked past Johansson’s voice in this supporting role, because her warm, sultry, perfectly sounding voice added a whole layer of color to this film.
Trying to understand Samantha is a true concept, but she is a wonderfully complex character, filled with fears, unsaid thoughts that always turn into transparent feelings and growth in more than one way.
“Samantha is the most dynamic female character I’ve seen in any movie from the last 10 years and she doesn’t even have a body,” senior Brea Ribeiro said.
Although Samantha is only virtually there, verbally Johansson makes it feel so real.
“This film shows us that we can’t fully develop female characters because of the emphasis on the sexualization of women’s body,” Ribeiro said.
In “Her,” we see a common theme of sadness shaded in different lights from all the characters.
We see this in the opening monologue from Theodore, the sadness sometimes heard in Samantha’s voice mirrored through Theodore’s own melancholy life. We see this in Theodore’s flashbacks of his ex-wife, zoomed in on the highs and lows of their past relationship, and we see sadness in the good friend and coworker Amy, played by Amy Adams, as she finally decides to let go of something that was never there.
Special Lovincey / Columnist
Special Lovincey can be reached at
[email protected].
