"her" by Spike Jonze - thoughts #1

Spike Jonze's recent film "her" is the epitome of complex concepts expressed simply. leading to profound truths the film starts with the title, and ends with understanding of something universal and timeless.

part of the brilliance of the film is that it strips away the complicated lives of our present and puts us in a realistic unmarked future time. so much that exists outside of the characters isn't talked about and could lead to questions such as: what year is it? what city is he living in? what country? what's the state of global warming, starvation and overpopulation? the film elegantly tells us gently that all those things don't matter. the world has been stripped away into this world of a comfy blanket so that our souls are bared.

the film begins with a tight shot of Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) as he looks at us and professes his deepest emotions, only for us to find out that it's a lie. he actually works at a company called "beautifulhandwrittenletters.com". the immediate irony that this man, in a cubical next to another person doing the same, is speaking to a computer in order to hand write a letter for a customer to their loved one becomes the central theme of the film.

but before continuing to that lockbox of thematic splendor, the world we are going to live in for the duration of the film is just as important as the relationships. the camera takes its time to show us Theodore's work environment, as it did showing us Theodore in his close-up. considering the type of work these people are doing they all seem to be enjoying themselves. even the male receptionist, Paul (Chris Pratt) who seems to dwarf the desk he sits at by his size both with his physical size and personality, seems to illuminate the room with ... well whatever it is the damn guy seems happy.

the world seems sterile almost. but in a good way. i mean it's all beautiful and well designed the way we all expect the future to be. the idea of writing other people's personal letters probably seems like a thankless job but there's also no indication that Theodore didn't in fact choose that career. it really does seem that everyone likes what they do. Paul likes being a receptionist, and is easily able to date a lawyer regardless of any class distinctions. Amy (Amy Adams) doesn't seem to have a career when we first meet her, or at least it's unclear. she seems to be a documentary film maker at first, and probably a pretty bad one since she's filming her mother sleeping. later she is more clearly a game developer, and very much enjoying it, even though her game is about completing thankless tedious tasks. point is that this world is one in which the people are able to pursue their dreams as a career.

i probably sound really sad or negative toward our own society but hey in the words of the alien child (voiced by Spike Jonze) in the video game Theodore is playing "fuck you". that retro future is beautiful.

her.... her.... her.... i hope that everyone knows what it's like to hear the word "her" (or "him)" and have an image, feeling, and presence felt by that one person you have/had in your life that has the ability to pull all of it together with a simple pronoun. when talking to a friend, or family talking about the past/present/future, both beautiful and painful, we reply with "ya, that was/is her/him". that one person who changes your life so profoundly that like Theodore we feel as if the future will only hold the same, but lesser, emotions than we've already had.

"her" is an example of very witty writing. not that there's tons of super funny puns, or whit, but so witty in it's use of devices, characters to so properly express itself.

Theodore seems to be a wimp, a pushover maybe, someone who is seems to be antisocial but is very popular according to him. he is the dichotomy of the human condition. he appears to be selfless, and meek. we identify with his hopes and dreams to be happy and feel that he is deserving, like all believe to be. are we deserving, and by what right? is one of the deeper questions at the heart of this film. when the future has given what it's promised to give what do we still need to do? what will never change?

our experiences, our development, and our reliance on our self will never change until we are able to shed our body and singular mind and live as one in the spaces between the words we hold as sacred.