A SCI-FI ROMANCE WITH SATIRICAL OVERTONES
OMG! HER, written and directed by Spike Jonze is a cleverly conceived part Science Fiction, part Romance, and part Comedy movie. For the first 20 minutes or so, I was a bit bored (this IS a slow-moving film) and was offended by the subject matter; I say offended ( a strong word I know) because I have my own thoughts about the morbidly absorbed techno generation who text each other while sitting in the same room, who only shop online, who don’t call their parents but rather send emails or worse yet, messages via Facebook! Okay so now if you didn’t know, you know I am in that other generation; first wave of the Baby Boomers and the offspring of The Greatest Generation.
So what we have here is a look-see into the not so far future world. Los Angeles, which in my opinion was a great choice for the location, is now all grown up with skyline of high-rise buildings, still in the gray shroud of its signature smog. Hard to miss the smog since all the walls everywhere seem to be made of glass. Ironic since glass might lend itself to intermingling, interaction and involvement with another human being, but instead it’s a clear and translucent cocoon where everyone cuddles with oneself and one’s computer.
DETACHED or otherwise self-involved, society has come to the point where a company can exist that writes your letters for you! Hand-written print-outs too! Theo, played so poignantly perfect by Joaquin Phoenix spends his day authoring these letters which are filled with emotions that he must feel on some level but channels them into ghost-written missives.
DETACHED and in Theo’s case, also bereft that his wife has left him, spends his evenings playing a virtual reality game with a foul-mouthed Pillsbury Dough Boy. This game (soon to be reality?) requires no headset! Not even an Oculus Rift! Hopefully, eventually, Theo will get off the planet, wonder where he’ll go next?
DETACHED ON STEROIDS happens when you fall in love with your OS (operating system). True it’s a highly evolved OS but nonetheless it lives in a hard drive. This particular operating system is intuitive, learning from its user and evolving in nano seconds what takes a human years to learn. It mirrors your thoughts, it reacts to your emotions, it lives to meet your every need and it’s available 24/7 – as long as you have that thing in your ear!
No need to go into the details of this love affair which happens not to be so unique in this new and wondrous world, I’ve already put in enough spoilers. Go see the movie just to be mesmerized by Scarlett Johansson powerful off-screen performance. She is Samantha, the living voice of Theo’s operating system. She is magnificent!
Scarlett Johansson aka Samantha (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
My original title for this blog was going to be; And The Moral Of The Story Is….
Here’s a verbal exchange between Samantha and Theo near the end of the movie:
Theodore: I’ve never loved anyone the way I loved you.
Samantha: Me too. Now we know how.
And this is what came to mind, another quote, author unknown:
“People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on”.
Who would have thought that person would be an OS?
Is This Your Samantha?
Bill Ding and his band of clowns are the security patrol for this blog site. He is a favorite toy from the 50*s. By the way sometimes a blog is just an ego-maniacal stream of conscience.
Pbenjay's Blog 
I’m far from a fan of the Baby Boomers, but they look fantastic next to what I call “The Worst Generation”.
They’re a bunch of whiny, self-obsessed, illiterates who can’t relate to anything that doesn’t come to them via a screen. Incessant, inane, jabbering and competitive fame whoring is about all they are capable of. Without their tech, they’re helpless & useless. (and even with it.)They can’t even count their own fingers without an app doing it for them.
Their permanent irresponsibility, their apathy regarding anything meaningful, their obsession with the stupid, their mindless consumerism…hell, their mindless everything…is more than enough to make any sane person lament the future.
I haven’t seen this movie. (Afraid it will cause me to start taking Bath Salts or something.) But I suspect things will actually be much worse by the time we get to whatever year the movie is set in.
I suspect another similar tale is told in the book (which I haven’t read for the same reason) Super Sad True Love Story http://supersadtruelovestory.com/
Go see the movie just to be mesmerized by Scarlett Johansson…She is magnificent
Don’t need a movie for that to happen. Just saying her name puts me in a trance for a few seconds.
Hi Sedate Me, I knew I could count on receiving a spirited comment from you! Let me clarify something for you just in case you were thinking of seeing the movie because of Scarlett – you don’t get to see her at all!
That’s ok, I got my hands on copies of those topless cell phone “selfies” that she took and that somebody hacked into her phone and stole. He was later caught & charged, but not before every horny dude in the world downloaded them. So she has firsthand experience with the dangers and (tragic behaviours) of the new digital age.
Yeah, I kinda feel guilty about looking at those photos, but that guilt quickly fades. Funny how that works -eh? The technological ability to do something selfish, harmful, or hurtful rapidly overcomes one’s sense of right & wrong, even among those with very strong principles.
As for my “spirited comment”, that was actually the mellowed out, vastly shortened, 2nd draft. Although, I must clarify what I wrote. I often call the Baby Boomers the Worst Generation to highlight the contrast between them and their parents, The Greatest Generation. I actually consider Boomers the most disappointing generation. The held so much promise, but the majority completely “sold out”. However, their children are so awful, they make their parents look great. Even though, as parents, Boomers (and those that followed) are absolutely horrific.
This is why the future is so bleak. Each generation is worse than the last.