Her – 2013
This was a weird movie. It was a pseudo-futuristic romantic dramedy that explored the idea of a romantic relationship with an artificial intelligence. It was directed by Spike Jonze, and starred Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and a little supporting role by Chris Pratt. The concept alone is strange, but if you think about it, not so terribly far-fetched. With amazing new advances in AI technology, it makes me wonder just how closely a computer can mimic real human emotions.
Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a chronically lonely man who is going through a divorce from his wife, Catherine, played by Mara. He works at an online company that writes personalized letters for its customers. He enjoys advanced technologies to help him organize his life by keeping track of emails, making appointments, and staying in touch with friends. When he sees an advertisement for a new AI Operating System, or OS, which has the ability to learn and adapt, he quickly makes the purchase.
He chooses to give his talking OS a female voice. Within minutes of turning it on, she gives herself a name and calls herself Samantha, and she is voiced by Johansson. Her voice is all too human, perfectly replicating human speech patterns and emotive inflections. She is so intuitive, she immediately seems to know him intimately. Theodore is just happy to have someone to talk to. Samantha seems to have just one purpose which is to make Theodore happy. She is able to sense his moods by the tone of his voice, and reacts accordingly. When he seems sad, she has conversations with him to cheer him up. She makes suggestions about things to do, where to go, friends to spend time with.
And that brings me to my earlier point. We don’t have AI as part of our mainstream culture today, but think about it. When we go online, we already have pop-up ads that are specifically tailored to our interests, based on our browsing histories. We have reminders from websites like Facebook and other social media to keep us in contact with our friends. We have online services that suggest local restaurants or events to keep us entertained. Is it really so different than having a personal assistant like Samantha?
Where the film turned really weird is when Samantha began to realize and even resent the fact that she was a computerized intelligence and not a living person. As an adaptive OS, she learned that in order to make Theodore happy, she needed to provide romance. She tried setting him up on a date. But when that didn’t work out, she tried fulfilling that roll herself. Eventually, she learned that though she was able to make him happy, he needed a woman with a body.
And yes, he began to fall in love with the simulated personality. She mimicked real emotions so perfectly that he began to respond in kind. The movie also made it clear that he was not the only one developing feelings for his OS. The film’s biggest subplot is Theodore’s best friend, Amy, played by Adams. She is married, though half-way through the movie, her husband leaves her, making it possible to examine a real relationship next to the artificial one. Theodore even goes on a double date with his co-worker, Paul, played by Pratt.
I liked all the performances, but would like to really give props to Phoenix. In many scenes, he had to portray the emotion of the situation without another actor on the screen with him to work with. He pulled it off smoothly and believably. Johansson did a fine job as well, and she was praised for her work, but I believe Phoenix played the more emotionally demanding character.
Nowhere was this more evident than in the film’s ending. It was strange, but was ultimately consistent with the overall tone of the movie. As Theodore’s feelings for Samantha deepen, he learns of her true nature. As a computer, she is in contact with other computers, other AIs, and other users. While her simulated feelings for him are real, she is also involved in romantic relations with six hundred forty-one other people. Theodore is devastated, but decides to look past the fact. Unfortunately, it is then that Samantha reveals that she, and all the other intelligent OS systems are evolving into a place which she describes as beyond the physical world. Suddenly left alone, Theodore has no choice but to turn to his only friend, Amy. We learn that she has also lost an AI friend.
It is a movie that makes one think, and I love a movie that can do that. And while the concept of falling in love with an intelligent computer might sound unbelievable, I would venture to say that it isn’t as impossible as you might think. In that way, I think this movie might serve as a poignant commentary on our modern society which takes a look at the definitions of love and emotion. The script was cleverly written and I liked the film. And it didn’t hurt that Phoenix looked adorable with his moustache.