REVIEW: Her

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Spike Jonze never takes the easy route as a filmmaker. After establishing himself with the odd, critically adored Being John Malkovich, he probably could’ve directed a bunch of lazy comedies in his sleep and made a ton of money. Instead, he stretched himself creatively with the sly, intelligent Adaptation and the intensely personal Where the Wild Things Are.

With Her (his first film as sole screenwriter), Jonze pushes himself even further, taking a premise that sounds like a bad joke and transforming it into a beautiful, melancholy story of love and loss. Yet, somehow, he still manages to inject his twisted sense of humor into the tale.

Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely, recently divorced writer who becomes intrigued by a new computer operating system that promises to be a highly intelligent entity unique for each user. Once he purchases it and answers a couple of hilarious diagnostic questions, he’s pleasantly surprised to be hear the warm, inviting voice of Samantha (Scarlett Johansson).

What begins as a lark turns into an eccentric friendship and eventually a romantic relationship thanks to Samantha’s insightful, caring and funny personality. She might’ve started out as a computer program, but her relationship with Theodore causes her to mature and evolve. It’s beneficial for him as well, healing him enough to start living again after the end of his marriage wrecked his world.

The story is admittedly weird, but the film plays it so straight – and the performances by Phoenix and Johansson are so achingly wonderful – that I bought into the idea almost immediately. Spare me your “nerd falls in love with Siri” jokes. Not only were they played out months ago, they don’t even apply. Jonze quickly establishes that Samantha is so advanced that the only thing keeping her from being human is a physical body. Essentially, she and Theodore are in a futuristic version of a long-distance relationship.

Through this extraordinary circumstance, Jonze is able to explore not only the quirks of modern love, but also the constantly changing nature of intimacy, technology and human emotion. It’s obvious that the filmmaker poured his soul into the script, using the idea as a metaphor to raise some complex, often painful thoughts about people who outgrow one another despite deep, mutual affection.

The look and tone of Her matches the touching narrative thanks to Hoyte Van Hoytema’s gorgeous cinematography and Arcade Fire’s engaging score. I’ve never been a big fan of the band, but they won me over here. The film’s other musical highlight is “The Moon Song,” written by Karen O. (vocalist for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), which serves as a hauntingly beautiful piece that Samantha composes for Theodore at the height of their relationship.

Phoenix delivers one of the best performances of his career as the timid, wounded Theodore, selling the audience on his intricate relationship with someone who never appears on screen and making it seem effortless. For most of the movie, at least from a physical standpoint, it’s a one-man show. He makes the character endearingly weird without crossing the line into one of those implausible oddballs who only exist in the movies.

He’s a natural in the comedic scenes that frequently pop up in the first half of the story, and then he’s even better when the plot takes a dramatic turn around the halfway point. It’s crazy to watch Phoenix fully immerse himself in this character and then remember he also played Johnny Cash. Calling him versatile is an understatement.

Johansson also delivers some career-defining work, creating a complex, emotionally rich character who audiences never see. A lesser filmmaker might’ve thrown in a cheap scene near the end that allowed her to make a cameo, especially since a certain segment of viewers hate it when someone listed on the poster doesn’t actually “show up.” Fortunately, Her isn’t that kind of movie. Johansson is “in” the movie (I’d argue she’s the co-lead) playing a fully-realized individual who exists in a way most of us can’t comprehend.

Her work is even more astounding considering she didn’t even join the film until after the footage had already been shot. Actress Samantha Morton interacted with Phoenix on set, but Jonze later realized the performance wasn’t quite what he was looking for. So, basically, Johansson came in after the other actors were done and knocked it out of the park. You’d never know that she wasn’t an integral part of the movie from the beginning. Her chemistry with Phoenix is that strong.

The supporting cast doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but they all turn in impressive performances too. Amy Adams, as Theodore’s similarly eccentric best friend, is terrific as always, serving as his sounding board and cheerleading section. It’s astonishing to think that she also played completely different,  yet equally compelling, characters earlier this year in American Hustle and Man of Steel – she’s a chameleon.

Rooney Mara, playing Theodore’s ex-wife, is also strong, proving to audiences right away that she’s not a bad person just because she couldn’t make things work with the protagonist. Chris Pratt, a great actor poised to become a household name later this year, is warm and funny as the receptionist in Theodore’s office. Even Jonze turns in a hilariously filthy vocal performance as a foul-mouthed alien in Theodore’s favorite video game.

Her isn’t for everyone, as you probably figured out from the plot description. But if you’re a fan of Jonze, or quirky, daring cinema in general (or even if you’re just looking for something different) it’s a must-see. There’s a reason it was on my Best of 2013 list last week.

Her is rated R for language, sexual content and brief graphic nudity.

Grade: A-