Her (2013)

A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.

Director:

Spike Jonze

Writer:

Spike Jonze

Stars:

Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson

Won 1 Oscar. Another 76 wins & 174 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Theodore
Lynn Adrianna Freedman	...	Letter Writer #1 (as Lynn Adrianna)
Lisa Renee Pitts	...	Letter Writer #2
Gabe Gomez	...	Letter Writer #3
Chris Pratt	...	Paul
Artt Butler	...	Text Voice (voice)
May Lindstrom	...	Sexy Pregnant TV Star
Rooney Mara	...	Catherine
Bill Hader	...	Chat Room Friend #2 (voice)
Kristen Wiig	...	SexyKitten (voice)
Brian Johnson	...	OS1 Commercial Lead
Scarlett Johansson	...	Samantha (voice)
Amy Adams	...	Amy
Matt Letscher	...	Charles
Spike Jonze	...	Alien Child (voice) (as Adam Spiegel)

Storyline

Theodore is a lonely man in the final stages of his divorce. When he's not working as a letter writer, his down time is spent playing video games and occasionally hanging out with friends. He decides to purchase the new OS1, which is advertised as the world's first artificially intelligent operating system, "It's not just an operating system, it's a consciousness," the ad states. Theodore quickly finds himself drawn in with Samantha, the voice behind his OS1. As they start spending time together they grow closer and closer and eventually find themselves in love. Having fallen in love with his OS, Theodore finds himself dealing with feelings of both great joy and doubt. As an OS, Samantha has powerful intelligence that she uses to help Theodore in ways others hadn't, but how does she help him deal with his inner conflict of being in love with an OS?

---

Plot Keywords:

loneliness | future | female frontal nudity | divorce | artificial intelligence | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content and brief graphic nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 January 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ella

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$23,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$260,382 (USA) (20 December 2013)

Gross:

$25,556,065 (USA) (11 April 2014)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Annapurna Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Samantha Morton was originally the voice of Samantha. She was present on the set with Joaquin Phoenix every day. After the filming wrapped and Spike Jonze started editing the movie, he felt like something was not right. With Morton's blessing, he decided to recast the role and Scarlett Johansson was brought and replaced Morton, re-recording all the dialogue.

---

Goofs

The movie is set in Los Angeles. It is filmed in California and China. However, in some of the panoramic shots of the city the traffic is driving on the left side of the road. In both the US and in China, traffic drives on the right side of the road.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Theodore: [proof-reading] "To my Chris. I've been thinking how I could possibly tell you how much you mean to me. I remember when I first started to fall in love with you like it was last night. Lying naked beside you in that tiny apartment - it suddenly hit me that I was part of this whole larger thing. Just like our parents - or our parents' parents. Before that, I was just living my life like I knew everything - and suddenly this bright light hit me and woke me up. That light was you. I ...
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

"Steve Zissis....... New Sweet Boyfriend of Mother Who Dated Pricks"

---

Connections

References Blade Runner (1982)

---

Soundtracks

Dimensions
Written, Produced and Performed by Arcade Fire

User Reviews

HER - a visually beautiful ode the technological age

Spike Jonze's latest feature 'Her', set in the not-too-distant future, tells the story of Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) who finds himself falling in love with 'Samantha', an advanced operating system voiced by the sultry Scarlett Johansson. It is clear to see why this film was chosen by the National Board of Review as the best film of 2013: the visual style and extensive use of pastel colours is a triumph in itself, and the acting, editing, costumes and screenplay are all worthy of recognition.

I went to an awards screening of 'Her' and was pleased to find out that the film was not at all what I was expecting. It has such a distinct style, and Joaquin Phoenix carries the film with tremendous grace as the complicated and sensitive protagonist. The film is mostly Phoenix alone with Johansson's voice (reminiscent of Sandra Bullock in 'Gravity' or Robert Redford in 'All Is Lost' - two other 2013 films mainly revolving around one solitary character), but the audience never feels abandoned by the lack of other characters as we begin to forget that 'Samantha' is just really just a computer.

'Her' is a complex film with a much deeper meaning that lies beneath the surface. A beautifully crafted motion picture, this quirky love story is sure to resonate with you once you've seen it. It is an extremely interesting (and realistic) look at the future - Jonze's quaint and poignant film is a must-see! 9/10