Her (DVD REVIEW)
Her
DVD
Review by Kam Williams
Original Script Oscar-Winning Mind-Bending Adventure Arrives
on DVD
A few years ago, Joaquin
Phoenix
released I’m Not Here, a novel mockumentary which chronicled his supposed
retirement from acting in favor of a career in rap music. What made the movie
mesmerizing was how hard it was to tell whether or not he’d really had it with Hollywood. For the
three-time Oscar-nominee (for Gladiator, Walk the Line and The Master) threw
himself into the role so convincingly that we had to wait for word of his next
picture to know whether or not his new hip-hop persona was a fake.
Her is
another mind-bending adventure very dependent on his committing to a bizarre
character. In this case, Joaquin plays Theodore Twombly, a nerdy introvert who
makes his living writing love letters for tongue-tied lonely hearts.
Just past
the point of departure, we find him being served with divorce papers by his
estranged wife, Catherine (Rooney Mara). The suddenly single geek subsequently
searches for a new mate and finds one not at an online dating website but right
inside his computer.
Sultry and
seductive Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) is an operating system that comes
equipped not only with state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence but with a
velvety voice to boot. Programmed to please, she’s ever evolving and adapting
herself to fulfill her owner’s fantasies, and it’s not long before Theodore
falls for her, computer headset over heels.
After all,
Sam gives good phone sex, going so far as to simulate the most inspired screen
climax since Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. Soon, the man and software are
an item, and smitten Theodore starts introducing his libidinous laptop to
friends as his girlfriend.
Excuse me
for having a problem buying into such a farfetched premise, especially since the
eccentric protagonist keeps up the charade when he has a chance to date his
gorgeous BFF (Amy Adams) after she’s dumped by her husband (Matt Letscher) and
needs a shoulder to cry on. But what do I know, given that the film won the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay?
Anyway, we’re
expected to believe he’d rather remain in a frustrating, metaphysical
relationship with a piece of software that becomes possessive and jealous of
women with bodies. Listen, this silly sci-fi storyline probably would have made
a terrific, Twilight Zone TV episode back in the day, but it’s a little much to
ask folks well grounded in reality to suspend their disbelief for a couple of
hours for the sake of such a preposterous plot.
That being
said, I suppose there’s a good chance that the screen-weaned youngsters of the
Millennial Generation might find the idea of dating a computer perfectly
plausible. What’s in your laptop?
Very Good
(2.5 stars)
Rated R
for profanity, sexuality and brief nudity
Running time: 126
minutes
Distributor: Warner Home
Entertainment Group
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: The Untitled Rick Howard
Project; How Do You Share Your Life with Somebody; and Her: Love in the Modern
Age.
To see a trailer for
Her, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6p6MfLBxc
To order a copy of the Her Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, visit:
No comments:
Post a Comment