Review of the Reviews

Positive Review: http://www.delawareonline.com/viewart/20140109/ENTERTAINMENT10/301090084/Review-magical-lonely-love-Spike-Jonze-s-Her-
Negative Review: http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Her-review-No-future-in-virtual-relationship-5091276.php

The movie Her came out recently and has been nominated for both Golden Globes and Academy Awards, eventually winning the Golden Globe for best screenplay. Most reviews for this movie focus on the abstract idea of the film, which is a human falling in love with his operating system, an OS. The first review I read originally goes through the events chronologically, while adding her own opinions throughout. The main argument she uses in support of this film is the connection between the emotional and physical aspects when it comes to love, and whether or not you need both in order to obtain that relationship. She focuses mainly on the world that Spike Jonze has created, one that she describes as a "dreamland" and praises his cleverness in comparison to his other works.

However, the lack of the OS having a physical being is what some critics saw as a major flaw in this movie. This critic points out that the main idea of the movie is more interesting to discuss in detail rather than watch on the big screen. He is judgmental towards Joaquin Phoenix, the main character, and the weirdness that this future society embodies. He also comments on the choice to cast Scarlett Johansson as the voice of Samantha, the OS, and states that because of her already present sex appeal, it may have affected the audience and the mystery of the idea as a whole.

I do have to agree with the point that Mick LaSelle's makes about Scarlett Johansson. He says, "We know what she looks like. Hence, we buy into Theodore's fantasy and start thinking, 'If only.'" (Negative). So, if the voice had been someone we did not know, would the allusion have been different? This is such an integral part of the movie that I can't help but criticize the choice in casting someone that is not only famous, but known for her good looks.

However, Jessica Herndon also makes an interesting point by stating that "in a dark theater, surrounded by the wondrous world Jonze creates in "Her," it's difficult to avoid getting emotional" (Positve). I completely related to this because I'll admit I teared up a couple times, even at scenes that weren't necessarily sad. As an audience member, you can't help but feel bad for Theodore and the situation in it's entirety. Life with an OS is clearly not ideal, and seeing Theodore's struggles firsthand, the audience can be surprised by how much they may relate to him.

If I had read these reviews without seeing the film, I would most likely believe LaSelle's negative review more than Herndon's because he touched on more points than she did and gave me concrete reasons as to why he thought the film was bad. Herndon seemed like she enjoyed the film, but I didn't really get to see exactly why. You can tell she gained a lot from it, but you aren't exactly sure what. LaSelle on the other hand had a structure that led me through his thought process as he was watching the film and turned me off to it immediately, even if I had wanted to see it. The critic needs to have a solid concrete argument either for or against the film instead of simply saying they enjoyed the versatility of the director or the uniqueness of the script. The reader needs to understand the feelings of the critic firsthand instead of trying to guess them.

If I were to review this film, I would most definitely focus on the originality of this screenplay as well as the actors' performances. They all did a superb job, in my opinion, and I think that would be necessary to discuss in order to win the reader over. I would also talk about how this future seems 100% realistic, as if it could actually happen, and isn't completely fictional. The harsh reality of it brought out questions in me about technology and society now that had me thinking for days. However, I would leave out the repetitiveness of the script at times. Some scenes felt like they were repeating themselves and although that was the point of the movie, I wouldn't want my readers to see that and be turned off by the film in fear of it being boring.

Film Intro Survey

1. What is the first movie that really made a strong impression on you? 
Adventures of Babysitting because we used to watch it as a family regularly when I was younger and I have seen it countless times. 

2. What are 3-4 of your favorite genres?
Mystery/Thriller, Indie/Arthouse, Comedy, Drama 

3. What are 3-4 of your LEAST favorite genres?
Animation, Horror, Western

4. What are your five favorite films?
Donnie Darko, Fight Club, Pulp Fiction, Happythankyoumoreplease, Some Kind of Wonderful

5. List three characteristics of what you consider to be a good movie.
Interesting plot line, compelling characters, and realistic dialogue

6. What are some of your least favorite movies?
Blindness, Side Effects, Taken 2 

7. List three characteristics of what you consider to be a bad movie.
Boring, no plot line, cliche 

8. If you have any favorite directors, list them
David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino, John Hughes 

9. If you have any favorite actors/actresses, list them.
Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Amy Adams 

10. List 3 films that you consider important films for people to see
Shutter Island, Hotel Rwanda, Toy Story  

11. What's your oldest favorite film?
It's a Wonderful Life 

12. What's the best movie you've seen that's been released in the past 2 years?
The Place Beyond the Pines 

13. What are the next five films on your "queue"?
The Hurt Locker, Law Abiding Citizen, Big, Crash, Argo