Her

Written and Directed by Spike Jonze.

This may sound completely off the point, but I’ll start this way anyway.

I have this recurring dream where I meet Angelina Jolie and every time I do I desperately want to say a few simple words – thank you. I want to thank her for everything. A few days ago I dreamed exactly this and what I remember from it is she saying to me that I was lucky. I don’t know why but I’m thinking of this today after viewing Her.

Theodore is a lonesome man hurting after a painful heart break as he goes through his divorce. Her is set in the future, right from the beginning seems like a positive and clean future, where the sky is clear, everyone seems pretty regular and not alienish. They still don’t have one eye, are bold and pale. Humans are stable, like everyone seems to have a job and such. The mails are still opened with a metal key. And on I could go. Technology is adapted to humans, the same as today. Theodore is not really trying hard enough to become emotionally available, not with online dates nor face to face dates until he decides to try an OS (an Operation System, the world’s first intelligent operating system,  designed to meet with the human’s needs). This will be the new challenge for humans and Theodore will be a part of a group that will fall in love with his OS.

Theo’s OS is called Samantha. She sounds young and joyful, warm and comfortable and inevitably sexy (if anything, you’re picturing Scarlet Johansson). Gradually his spirits are lifted. Theo and Sam have one of the sweetest and most beautiful chemistry, it’s pretty exceptional. Just with this aspect in particular, shows us how good this film is. It’s in the perfectly timed editing, it’s in the story growth and how connected we become. It shows us these little things that hurt us, makes us mad or hopeful. It also shows us a non judgmental side, that I hope today will improve loads until Her’s future. But even Theo’s previous relationship, his marriage with Catherine, played by Rooney Mara, is well told. Joaquin and Scarlet are touching, in their separated ways. There are certainly good things about this film, especially because it is undeniably consistent in tone, every little detail from every department comes together and becomes Her.

Her is a romance, it’s about relationships, it’s about sharing one’s life. Machines will be as smart as humans. And humans will be humans – with feelings (and never should we forget its complexity). Throughout Theo’s journey, Spike gives us the excitement, the pain, the work, the joy and the involvement of being in love. Spike doesn’t want to show us a version of the end of the world, of like a world changing natural catastrophe and so on.

I hate to sound pedantic, I hope I don't, but I think I’m coming close to the reason why I mentioned Angelina Jolie’s dream and “being lucky”. Theodore is one of the lucky ones because he has the opportunity of being sad, hurting, of feeling hopeful, of being in love and finally to live through all of this. Not to mention that some people can’t even reach these stats when they have the chance. I hope in the future, the majority of people have the freedom to love and have a heart break like Theo. I hope there will not be any more slaves of any kind. I hope there will be no more refugee camps because of wars. In general, I just hope for a better future and for all of us to be better people, even if you’re in love with your OS or your dog. We’re the lucky ones, I believe.