Rave Review of "Her"

Yet Another Rave Review for “Her”

Her
- Written & Directed by Spike Jonze

I include the written & credit in this case because despite all the awesome subtle Directorial touches to this film, what makes it work for me more than anything else, is the beat for (bang fucking on) beat, script. On just one viewing, this is hands down the best scripted film I’ve seen in months. The small weird sci-fi-ish conceits of the picture also lend it an authenticity that it wouldn’t in any other picture where there would be all this exposition about why this manic depressive high waisted pants wearing not nearly the nerd he appears to be Joaquin Phoenix, can afford to live in the Beverley wiltshire by writing (pretty awesome) letters for people. 

For my money, this portrayal of a middle age approaching guy who is sometimes suaver than Errol Flynn chatting up a tavern wench or Lady Pirate, and sometimes as effective in communicating as Jerry Lewis being a drooling bellboy is easily the best thing he’s done in a string of out there performances. Scarlett Johanssen’s breathy delivery is also completely on point as the sexy, flirtatious, kind of controlling OS girlfriend. 

Which leads to another of those great things about the film; we realize at the same time as Phoenix’s Theodor Twombly does, that he isn’t the only one with an OS girlfriend or boyfriend. As quickly as these AI Operating Systems grow and learn, they become almost acceptable as friends and partners. People really  have a reason to be staring at their phone while the beautiful world goes on around them. I cried four times, blubbering happy tears at the end of it.

The film has the most grown up ending possible. Also Amy Adams continues to be my favourite actress in everything I see her in. Scarlett gives her a run for it here, but sigh, Amy! I don’t recall how many if any Oscar noms this film got but Joaquin should trade in trading on Johnny Cash, for this performance; for me, it’s his new signature role. I feel like watching the movie again tonight.

I seriously can not recommend this film highly enough.




9.5789 chest pockets that your phone miraculously never falls out of , outta 10

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nerd-Sploitation Weekend continues

Image
Glib Reviews of New Releases NerdFest Day 2 Continuing my Nerd-Sploitation festival with the almost traditional tale of of the out of control Game Master. Earlier examples of this sort of the tiny Nerdsploitation genre includes Gamers, (and it’s sequel) or any of those movies that I don't watch, that involve video games. Zero Charisma - Directed by Katie Graham , Andrew Matthews Is a surprising solid portrayal of the aging Nerd, or Fan. The main character is in many ways a painful reminder of what its like to be so obsessed with a game (or any fantasy) that it ruins the rest of your life.  Scott The GM in question ( Sam Eidson ), may in fact be a triggering presence for many gamers, or ex gamers. Be warned, the interplay of the players and GM struggling through a ridiculously overlong campaign is more realistic than the things the players do ‘in game.’ People being talked over, outside noise causing havoc with the flow of the game, the omnipresence of snack
Read more

Review of Tangerine!

Image
Glib Reviews Of Recent DVD Releases Tangerine - Directed By Sean Baker Tangerine is one of those films that ‘feels like’ it was shot chronologically. The first few scenes are a bit rough, the acting is a bit iffy, but as the characters of Sin-Dee and Alexandra walk endlessly through their drama filled Christmas Eve Day in L.A. The picture gets more gripping, the cinematography, the acting and the script all get better, more polished in a low budget way. The locations give a nice grimy seventies feel to the whole thing. Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is especially unlikeable at the beginning of the film, her single mindedness in finding her pimp/boyfriend and the girl he ‘cheated on her’ with while she was doing a month in jail, is not terribly nuanced. The buffer of the her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) trying to keep her from all the drama she is creating, while trying to hustle tickets for a show she is doing that night keeps the whole thing from being one note.
Read more

My middling review of "Night Moves" by Kelly Reichardt

Image
Glib reviews of recent DVD/Blu Ray releases. Night Moves - Directed by Kelly Reichardt This is not your father’s ‘Night Moves,’ that one is an under appreciated Arthur Penn flick with Gene Hackman. Both do crucially involve boats though. I wanted to like this film a bit more than I did. As a big fan of Reichardt’s films in general, I was looking forward to this quite a bit. It may be though my least favourite of the bunch, but that by no means says it’s a bad film, just not quite as good as the previous three films. If you like creepy atmospheric slow paced gorgeously shot in Oregon kind of movies, you will dig this. Jesse Eisenberg is at his broodingest best, here, you barely ever see under his hooded eyes, he only ever really expresses emotions over the things he perceives with horror, like the dead deer he moves from the edge of the highway to save the dead doe the dignity of not getting run over again and again, at least. The basic plot has Jesse (as Josh, commu
Read more