“This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.”-T.S. Eliot

Her is an uncomfortable movie to watch, but I did love how it took a completely believable future and dealt with a popular sci-fi concept of singularity in an anti-apocalyptic way: intimately, constructively and lovingly. Her presents an externally peaceful and prosperous world rife with inner conflict and a quest to breach the divide represented by the separate consciousness of individuals trying to connect over the ocean of autonomy. I cannot believe that Charlie Kaufman of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind did not write Her except that it seemed more optimistic and upbeat than Kaufman’s usual work. The color palette is warm and bright instead of dingy and cold. Basically all the characters are good-natured, well-meaning people despite their isolation and longing. I applaud Her for directly addressing the question of whether or not the central romance is simply mastubatory, but I was disappointed that it didn’t address the incestuous implications. Is there an underlying mental disorder even if it is a widespread accepted phenomenon in the main character’s world and the audience assumes that Samantha, the central A.I., is a separate individual? Paging qualified professionals. I’m going to say that there is: an inability to deal with a three dimensional real person. I enjoyed the glimpses of the broader world when Theo, the main character played by Joaquin Phoenix, raised his head to look at his surroundings. Initially the world is filled with people interacting, but gradually more people stop interacting and appear to be talking to themselves like Theo. As Her progresses, the image of jealousy transforms. What is truly intriguing: the entire movie is from Theo’s perspective, and there are clearly moments when we have flashbacks or are seeing his surroundings as events unfold, but how much of what we are seeing is occurring or is actually his interior landscape or imagination? It would take repeated viewings and closer scrutiny to conclusively answer. My less artsy fartsy self kept asking questions, “What if the device falls in the toilet? Suppose someone steals the device?” Of course Joaquin Phoenix does a great job, but since Scarlett Johansson and Phoenix were probably never in the same room, they deserve extra accolades for credibly interacting. Chris Pratt is making an incredible career of being an affable, attractive goofball. Amy Adams is transformative and seems to be in everything.