tnrcooper
Joined May 2003
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Reviews203
tnrcooper's rating
"Her" deals with possible future situations in which computers are so developed that people have satisfying, fully-committed relationships with them. I think that the premise of the film is intriguing, and I found that the first half of the movie, in which the relationship is less serious, was believable. I had a hard time believing in the depth of the relationship as it developed over the second half. The world as depicted in the movie seems almost current and I didn't believe that such a complex relationship with a computer was possible right now or in the next 25 years. Yes, the computer (Scarlett Johansson) is very smart and obviously scientists in the future, according to this movie, are able to program computers so well, that people engage in relationships with computers. I just found the depiction of this relationship to be implausible and I couldn't believe in the realization of such a film, at least not at this time.
Perhaps I don't want to imagine the sort of loneliness that could propel Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) into a relationship with his computer. I suppose these sorts of relationships will be plausible, perhaps within 25 years. Obviously people have Siri on their iPhones and some robots are able to fulfill specific needs in peoples' lives. People value their electronic devices and I don't exclude myself from that group. I just don't like the idea of them as intimate partners. It's a development that doesn't sit well with me. The notion of the autonomy of a computer which understands you enough to submit your writing as a book proposal is disturbing to me. I found the idea of not having any sort of image of the partner disturbing also. The idea of going on picnics with another couple and having your computer girlfriend's voice piped in via the ear feed which practically implants her in your head, is also disturbing to me. Fortunately, I think we're quite a way from this occurring.
The premise is fascinating and the idea is intriguing. However, as someone who thinks that in spite of the promise and capacities of computers, there is no replacement for relationship with another human, I am profoundly depressed by this film. I never see the genie being put back in the bottle. Our electronic devices are more intrusive and more indistinguishable from the people who have the technology. The immersion continues apace with this film and it's certainly not a trend I like. Perhaps this movie is prescient, but I hope not.
Perhaps I don't want to imagine the sort of loneliness that could propel Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) into a relationship with his computer. I suppose these sorts of relationships will be plausible, perhaps within 25 years. Obviously people have Siri on their iPhones and some robots are able to fulfill specific needs in peoples' lives. People value their electronic devices and I don't exclude myself from that group. I just don't like the idea of them as intimate partners. It's a development that doesn't sit well with me. The notion of the autonomy of a computer which understands you enough to submit your writing as a book proposal is disturbing to me. I found the idea of not having any sort of image of the partner disturbing also. The idea of going on picnics with another couple and having your computer girlfriend's voice piped in via the ear feed which practically implants her in your head, is also disturbing to me. Fortunately, I think we're quite a way from this occurring.
The premise is fascinating and the idea is intriguing. However, as someone who thinks that in spite of the promise and capacities of computers, there is no replacement for relationship with another human, I am profoundly depressed by this film. I never see the genie being put back in the bottle. Our electronic devices are more intrusive and more indistinguishable from the people who have the technology. The immersion continues apace with this film and it's certainly not a trend I like. Perhaps this movie is prescient, but I hope not.
Korea is a wonderfully odd place for a westerner. I have lived here for a while and have learned the language to some degree. There is great innocence and great frankness in the society. It usually comes from a place of innocence and good intentions and those good intentions allow one to say things that might get you slugged if you didn't mean well. Directness, be it positive or negative, is valued in ways that often shock westerners and leave us baffled. This film is exhibit A in that sort of baffling mix of bluntness and sweetness.
This movie is hilarious, with two great leads in Gianna Jun as the girl and Tae Hyeon Cha as her suitor Kim Woo. They really make the movie. Cha is sweet and really clueless and must seem, to The Girl (Gianna's character is never given a name beyond that) like nothing more than a mouse with which she, the cat, can play. Having said that, she is still a woman and wants him to be chivalrous, even while she tests him as few women will.
The Girl's character is more than a little messed up, owing to some previous relationships. It's a great character and a star-making turn for her, giving her the chance to show great range as an actress. We see her as needy, as strong, as feminine, as sarcastic, and as very funny. The script, by Ho-sik Kim based on events in his life. It was adapted by him and director Jaeyoung Kwak who do a great job in keeping the characters likable in spite of some sharp twists and turns. There's some good supporting work from Kym Woo's parents (Sook Song Kwak and In Mun Kim) also. This really is a fun romantic comedy about the power of love. If you like Hollywood cookie cutter romances this isn't for you, but if you're willing to see other modes of expressing romance, this movie will reward you.
This movie is hilarious, with two great leads in Gianna Jun as the girl and Tae Hyeon Cha as her suitor Kim Woo. They really make the movie. Cha is sweet and really clueless and must seem, to The Girl (Gianna's character is never given a name beyond that) like nothing more than a mouse with which she, the cat, can play. Having said that, she is still a woman and wants him to be chivalrous, even while she tests him as few women will.
The Girl's character is more than a little messed up, owing to some previous relationships. It's a great character and a star-making turn for her, giving her the chance to show great range as an actress. We see her as needy, as strong, as feminine, as sarcastic, and as very funny. The script, by Ho-sik Kim based on events in his life. It was adapted by him and director Jaeyoung Kwak who do a great job in keeping the characters likable in spite of some sharp twists and turns. There's some good supporting work from Kym Woo's parents (Sook Song Kwak and In Mun Kim) also. This really is a fun romantic comedy about the power of love. If you like Hollywood cookie cutter romances this isn't for you, but if you're willing to see other modes of expressing romance, this movie will reward you.
This movie has the realistic feel of a documentary although I wouldn't call it a faux documentary because there is no pretension that it is a mock-up. It has the feel of a documentary and if you didn't know any better, you could quite reasonably conclude that it was. I would say that it is in the tradition of the Bicycle Thief or other classics of the Neo- Realist genre in which life proceeds at a leisurely pace and multiple quotidian events and regular people ground the plot as realistically as possible.
In this film, an Iranian director (Farah Kheradmand), representing Kiarostami, travels with his son (Buba Bayour) to small town Koker in the remote mountains of Iran to find a child actor who had been in his most recent movie and about whom he worried in the wake of a strong earthquake. Clearly there is some overlap with real life events as there was a major earthquake in Iran in 1990 and one of the stars of Kiarostami's previous movies ("Where Is The Friend's Home?") lived in this area. The pace of the movie, the everyday transactions, and the humans' doggedness in the face of tragedy indicate Kiarostami's love for people and thoughtfulness as a director.
Throughout the movie, we see slices of life. We see a young couple getting married even on a day when some of their relatives die, explaining that they thought they should continue, particularly on such a sad day. We see a man lugging heavy belongings to help out his family. We see a young Buba, with the wisdom of an old man, heartbreakingly consoling a woman who has lost one of her daughters. We see a little baby crying and the director quickly consoling the baby. One of these incidents in and of itself would be insignificant, but they are linked together in such numbers that the collective weight of the movie stays with you and cannot be shaken. Together, such a collection of events comprise the guts and the essence of life. The humble dignity of the characters will not be forgotten easily.
In this film, an Iranian director (Farah Kheradmand), representing Kiarostami, travels with his son (Buba Bayour) to small town Koker in the remote mountains of Iran to find a child actor who had been in his most recent movie and about whom he worried in the wake of a strong earthquake. Clearly there is some overlap with real life events as there was a major earthquake in Iran in 1990 and one of the stars of Kiarostami's previous movies ("Where Is The Friend's Home?") lived in this area. The pace of the movie, the everyday transactions, and the humans' doggedness in the face of tragedy indicate Kiarostami's love for people and thoughtfulness as a director.
Throughout the movie, we see slices of life. We see a young couple getting married even on a day when some of their relatives die, explaining that they thought they should continue, particularly on such a sad day. We see a man lugging heavy belongings to help out his family. We see a young Buba, with the wisdom of an old man, heartbreakingly consoling a woman who has lost one of her daughters. We see a little baby crying and the director quickly consoling the baby. One of these incidents in and of itself would be insignificant, but they are linked together in such numbers that the collective weight of the movie stays with you and cannot be shaken. Together, such a collection of events comprise the guts and the essence of life. The humble dignity of the characters will not be forgotten easily.