Review of Her (2013) by Smooth T — 19 Feb 2017

Why on earth does this have such a high rating? Was it really that groundbreaking when it first came out? This movie was awful. I gave it one full star for starting with a mildly interesting premise (albeit one that's been done a hundred times before), but in execution, this movie falls drastically short. The attraction between the protagonist and his operating system seems horribly forced; immediately introducing what is supposed to be a computer as a breathy, overly sensitive woman who can instantly banter and is capable of carrying on girlfriend-tier conversations with Theodore. Over the course of the movie, the computer displays jealousy, shyness, shame, love, arousal, desire, and other emotions that years after the movie's release immediately kill all suspension of disbelief, even if this movie were to be set in a distant future with more advanced artificial intelligence. Equally awkward is watching these A-list actors attempt to say their lines with a straight face as they admit to things like that their partner cheated on them with someone else's phone or that they've moved on from an ex because they bought a new OS. There was a scene of a double date near the end in which they sat around on a hilltop staring blankly at the ground and raising their eyebrows and tilting their heads for five minutes in complete silence. (I hope someone interviewed Chris Pratt on how awkward it was to shoot this movie.) Theodore spends the majority of the latter half of the movie avoiding phone calls from his phone. Since when does a phone need to call you to talk to you? Seriously?

Every plot point that does not revolve around how amazing the OSes supposedly are is short and underdeveloped, and as such, every time we're supposed to identify with a main character having difficulties with their interpersonal relationships and seeking solace in technology, it just feels tired and distancing.

Establishing at the beginning of the movie that the love interest is a computer automatically makes everything Samantha says feel incredibly fake, no matter how much Scarlett Johansson throws herself into her lines. We already know everything she's saying is based on her programming, and as such, we're subjected to a depressing two hours of a lonely man falling completely for a clever trick that basically equates to when we ask Siri to tell us a joke.

The aesthetic of the movie is nice (although the decision to have so many of the main characters sporting cringey, creepy uncle moustaches was unfortunate) and the nice, colorful city shots are enjoyable for the first ten seconds, but then start to drag as the protagonist stares dramatically into the distance with his brows furrowed as he listens to his earbud.

The person I saw was with was very moved, but I felt absolutely nothing watching this. It just made me wrinkle my nose and roll my eyes a few times. The only way I think this movie works is if you can see Samantha as a metaphor for a long-distance relationship, in which case the story is touching, but not particularly inspired. However, forcing the audience to stoop down and play along with your completely irrational love story of a gasping, moody computer making the protagonist depressed for two excruciating hours does not work. I could see this working a little better if they had made Samantha slightly more robotic, predictable, and with an even slightly even voice, but alas, they went for the melodrama. I regret watching this. Read a synopsis and don't waste your time.