film

Joaquin Phoenix gives a remarkably sweet and vulnerable performance in this 2013 Spike Jonze movie, which is probably due a full re-release right about now given the extreme currency of its themes. Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a gentle, introverted man who writes personal letters for others while struggling with the aftermath of his divorce. He finds unexpected solace in an advanced operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), designed to evolve and adapt. As their relationship deepens, the movie examines the emotional complexities and contradictions of intimacy with artificial intelligence.

If that's doesn't make it timely enough for you, Her has also been hitting the headlines periodically over the past year, since Johansson launched a dispute with OpenAI, who she alleges ripped off her voice in Her for a ChatGPT voice assistant. The best reason of all to see Her, however, is that it's a very good movie, subtle and empathetic and enhanced by a delicate score by Arcade Fire and beautiful cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema.