Review of Her (2013) by Cheyenne W — 19 Sep 2017

I've tried to watch this movie multiple times since its release in 2013, but I just can't get sucked into it. To me, it's the most boring story about AI I've ever witnessed. Mainly because there's no connection between the audience and Theodore. Theodore is so bland and unlikeable it's unbearable. I guess it's to make Samantha seem more human compared to him (they're doing a Space Odyssey: 2001 thing), but I didn't like in 2001 and I definitely don't like it here. But I wanted to watch this movie because I think the transformation and use of fembots - female robots or AI for a man's sexual/emotional pleasure - is really interesting. So here is, Her.

Her starts out with Theodore, a basic white male down in the dumps because he's socially inept. Haven't heard that one before. Because of his social ineptitude, his wife divorced him and even after a year since the divorce was declared, he still can't sign the papers. Shocker. To dig himself out of his hole, he buys an OS device and chooses to give it a female voice. His own manic pixie dream girl. Where have I seen this before? The OS names herself Samantha and she and Theodore start out as friends, but of course, turn into lovers later on. This proves to help Theodore because he's finally able to let go of his ex wife, but his dependence on Samantha grows stronger and he's unable to live a "normal" life. Samantha ends up having her own character arc and isn't just there to serve Theodore, and the thousands of other human companions that she's also fallen in love with. Her story arc is to grow and learn as AI does, and discover her own wants and capabilities. Theodore, for some reason, feels betrayed after learning Samantha has been talking with other humans. I guess he didn't realize the OS is open to whoever can pay for it. Anyway, they end it on a happy note and Samantha finishes her manic pixie dream girl arc as well as her own arc by joining the technological singularity. Theodore ends his arc like any man in a manic pixie dream girl movie, by realizing that he had it in him all along, all he needed was a woman to show him the way.

Even though this movie is extremely bland, Scarlett Johansson's voice is amazing. It feels as though she's in the room with Theodore, but of course, she's not. Even so, you can imagine her waking him up every morning, or holding his hand, or even doing it with him (the first time, not with the poor girl that was dragged into their relationship who had to pretend to be Samantha). This movie reminds me of RealDolls (the highest line of sex dolls available - mainly the dolls are designed as female, but they also have some male ones), but for emotional support, and the best part is that she's not real. When she does become "real" it's actually extremely disturbing and wrong. Just like with the dolls, the best part is that they are not real too. In both cases, the women are there. You either have their voices or their bodies, but the best part, for men who have boughten the dolls or for Theodore, is they either don't have a body or don't have a mind. It seems as though we can't appreciate women as whole beings. They're either sex dolls in your home that can't talk, or AI that can lift you up when you're down, but not physically be with you. So when women are physically with men, they should shut up, and when they're talking they better just be a voice in the man's head. No matter how much Samantha has agency of her own - she eventually chooses to leave Theodore to pursue a higher purpose - she's still just what men want her to be. She's there to serve Theodore. She might as well just be a sex doll. She's no different than any other fembot we've seen before.

Just a little gripe I have with the movie is the one earbud thing. Why just one?! Doesn't that make people more sensitive in one ear than the other. Also, the styling of the movie is okay, but it's nothing we haven't seen before. Pastel colors, a too happy future, etc. The music also didn't do it for me. It was like 500 Days of Summer, but in the future with AI. I also think the connection that forms between Samantha and Theodore isn't very emotional. Not because Samantha wasn't physically there, but because they had no prior connection. The strongest AI films always have the AI knowing the person before hand. As seen in West World, or Be Right Back from Black Mirror. It always goes deeper than just a first hand connection.

Overall, I give the film a 4/10. There's no drama, and when there is, it's cliched and contrived. Theodore is just a drunk mess and every white straight cis male going through a divorce we've seen already. Lastly, Samantha just reinforces what we already knew about men and their eventual plans for AI and to a great extent, women.