Theodore (played remarkably by Joaquin Phoenix) is an ordinary guy
that we can all relate to. He checks his
e-mail on the ride home from work. However, his smart phone and its earpiece
work in a futuristic way that is different from ours, and soon it becomes clear
that "this is something of a science-fiction film, set in the
not-too-distant but distinctly fantastic future. A big part of the movie's
charm is just how thoroughly Jonze has imagined and constructed this future Los
Angeles, from its smoggy skies to its glittering skyscrapers to its efficient
mass transit system (well, that part is harder to believe).
This sets the stage for an
unusual love story: Theo, still highly damaged and sensitive over
the breakup of his marriage, falls in love with the artificially intelligent
operating system of his computer. The movie focuses on Theo's interaction
with his OS, Samantha. Samantha is reorganizing
Theo's files, making him laugh, and developing something like a human
consciousness. It is interesting
and troubling simultaneously. Samantha is a computer, so she has the ability to
process data at a higher speed than humans.
Who can compete with that? And
while Samantha's programming is designed to make her likable to Theo, and soon
we are liking her too. She seems like
the perfect girlfriend. Except that she
is not real.
In the midst of the heavy
implications of falling in love with a machine, the movie finds time for real
comedy. At first Theo feels a little odd about his new "girlfriend,"
and then finds out that his pal Amy (Amy Adams) is
getting caught up in a relationship with the OS left behind by her estranged
husband. The movie never appears to be an all-out satire, Jonze drops potentially frightening
hints about how the existence of artificial intelligence in human society
might affect us. It is either very depressing or very thought
provoking, or maybe a bit of both, with a satisfying ending.
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