Will Sorg

Her is my favorite movie and it’s not even close. The distance between my second favorite movie and Her might as well be infinite because my love for this film transcends my appreciation for film
itself. If I had to create a list of my favorite films in regards to various aspects of filmmaking: favorite screenplay, favorite acting, favorite cinematography, favorite musical score, I would say that ninety-five percent of those categories would be taken by Her. This film is a science fiction love story written and directed by Spike Jonze. It tells of the human experience through the eyes of a man named Theodore Twombly. Theodore is a lonely man, recently separated from his
wife. He buys a fully sentient AI operating system, which calls herself
Samantha, and as the film goes on we watch the two of them fall deeply in love. This is the set up of Her, but the film itself is far more complex.
I think this film holds the greatest human interpretation
of what falling in love is like. Without a physical body, Samantha
proves the film’s entire thesis. Love is transcendent, it is more than the
individual, it is beyond logic or science. In this film a human being and a formless AI share an intimate sex scene and it is one of the most beautiful representations of intimacy ever created. It plays out over a black screen as we hear only their voices and the beauty of Arcade Fire’s soundtrack. Without presence of visuals in the scene it is no longer a typical Hollywood sex scene with no real point except to grab your attention. Instead, it becomes a beautiful moment of passion that seems to elevate the characters beyond themselves, becoming something more. This is even shown literally as the very next fade in is from a perspective high above the ground, looking down upon the skyscrapers that pierce the sky. That is just one scene that is able to bring the viewer to this wonderful feeling of love and humanity. There are countless others like it in the film, from adorable scenes of banter between the two main characters to some of the best montages ever put to film. By the end of the story, these characters are brought to life to the point where you may feel that you’ve known them for years.
Through all of this, the film is just emotionally perfect. There is not a single time that I have watched this film where I haven’t had at least one tear fall from my eyes. Her evokes the same kaleidoscope of feelings that holding a loved one in your arms creates. Feelings of security and comfort in the love that you feel for them. Feelings of uncertainty, feelings of frustration. The feeling as you laugh at some dumb inside joke you’ve created with your loved one that you have told a million times but it still is funny. The feeling as you lay with them in your arms, knowing that it is the last time you will ever hold them. If you only ever watch one movie I recommend to you, please, let it be this one. If you’ve felt heartbreak, this movie can be a shoulder to cry on. If you’ve been searching for a film that captures the magic of human interaction, this film can give you what you’re searching for. If you’ve experienced love, you will experience it again through the characters of this masterpiece. Her has done all of those things for me. I hope it can do the same for you.