Movie reviews: Her
It’s a typically perverse Spike Jonze gambit that the ‘her’ in is not a real woman, but a computer operating system called Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Jonze is best known for movies such as Being John Malkovich (1999) and Adaptation (2002), both of which thrived on a surreal blend of reality and fiction. In Her, which is set in the near future, the reality is that of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a man who pens letters for a website called Beautiful Written Letters. Recently separated from his wife, Catherine (Rooney Mara), Theodore has slumped into functional depression. When he installs a new OS system on his computer, however, he begins to see the world anew as the OS — Samantha — experiences life vicariously through Theodore. Soon the pair start to fall in love, but the very notion is too preposterous to take seriously — or is it? A very modern love story, Her addresses our 21st century infatuation with technology, in the process asking pertinent questions about how far we’re prepared to go in terms of integrating our physical and intellectual capabilities. Is love a uniquely human condition? Or are machines — or their operating systems — capable of emotional and physical involvement? These are fascinating questions that we will very probably need to answer in the very near future as artificial intelligence becomes ever more sophisticated, although the questions are buried in the subtext here, underpinning a love story that offers a neat twist on a pleasingly old-fashioned tale. Phoenix is excellent as the romantic Theodore, a complex character who grows increasingly aware of his own failings as a man and a human being as Samantha’s consciousness evolves. Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde and Chris Pratt provide strong support, while Jonze — as writer and director — maintains an acerbic tone throughout, subverting our expectations of what a contemporary romance should deliver.
Based on a true story, follows an ageing platoon of specialists into battle during the latter stages of WWII, as they attempt to track down and liberate the priceless art being plundered by retreating Nazis. George Clooney directs and also stars as Frank Stokes, the platoon leader given the thankless task of marshalling a group of art experts (Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Hugh Bonneville, aided and abetted by Cate Blanchett) who are rather more impressive as scholars than soldiers. On one level it’s all rather charming, as the ill-suited veterans try to adapt to the hellish conditions of front-line warfare, and the running joke of Damon’s undercover spy waging a one-man war against the French language never gets old. That said, Clooney — who also co-wrote the script — struggles to establish a persuasive tone as he blends offbeat humour and knockabout banter with a race against time to recapture Europe’s greatest art works. It all bumbles along pleasantly enough but with no great urgency, as the platoon splits into various teams with their own mini-missions, their successes counterbalanced by moments of pathos. If you’ve ever wondered what a Raiders of the Lost Ark / Dad’s Army mash-up might look like, this is for you.
