BLU-RAY
REVIEW: HER
05/11/2014

OVERVIEW:
A heartfelt love story for the modern era, “Her” arrives onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on May 13 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Written and directed by Oscar®-winning filmmaker Spike Jonze (“Being John Malkovich,” “Where the Wild Things Are”), “Her” stars Oscar® nominee Joaquin Phoenix (“The Master,” “Walk the Line,” “Gladiator”), Oscar® nominee Amy Adams (“American Hustle”, “The Master,” “Doubt”), Oscar® nominee Rooney Mara (“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”), Olivia Wilde and Scarlett Johansson.
SYNOPSIS: Set in Los Angeles in the slight future, “Her” follows Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive and unique entity in its own right. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha,” a bright, female voice (Scarlett Johansson) who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other.
FILM REVIEW: From beginning to end, “Her” is a very charming romantic story told not only between man and woman, but also between man and machine, namely technology. And in some ways it could be seen as a cross between a 1997’s “Gattaca” and Andrew McCarthy’s “Mannequin” (1987). The idea of the story seems to underline our dependence on today’s rapidly developing technologies and what’s to come. Writer and director Spike Jonze (Adaptation, 2002) does an incredible job of telling this narrative without being preachy or boring. In fact, the film is so entertaining that audiences may have a hard time deciphering any hidden messages Jonze slides underneath the overall story. So viewers beware!
Before the screening I tried to imagine how one would enjoy a movie about a seemingly ordinary man falling romantically for a piece of technology, but
couldn't draw any real conclusions; however frankly speaking, “Oscar Nominee” is the first phrase that came to my mind after exiting this screening. The film is smart, sincere, and filled with incredibly real emotions. To put it simply, Spike Jonze’s iteration, with the help of Joaquin Phoenix (The Master, 2012) and an awesome cast that includes the likes of Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2011) and the voice of Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers, 2012) is arguably the best possible way such a story can be convincing in any context.
Interestingly enough the movie has quite the ability to engage the audience with some of the most thought-provoking questions challenging humanity today, without using over-top typical Hollywood flair. It tends to beg questions such as: What does it mean to be in a relationship? Can emotions come from virtual reality? Is engagement with technology gradually isolating us from society? And at no point in this flick are any of the above questions explicitly stated or answered, but the audience should recognize them as this unusual story and its connections unfold.
Overall, this is a story worth experiencing despite there being portions of the flick that play out a bit slower than I would prefer and some seemingly monotonous filming styles throughout the one hundred and twenty six minute runtime. These moments certainly do not dissuade from one appreciating the sheer beauty of the film and its romance. It may be a bit challenging at times, but I can assure you that it is well worth your time as a date night movie with a loved one, at the theaters or on
DVD. Five out of five stars is probably my being a little generous, but it’s well deserved.
Review
By Movi-Man Stan
BLU-RAY:
The film is
presented in widescreen in a 1.85:1 aspect ration preserving its
theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the
picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good,
a 5.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement
to the picture. It also includes English,
French
and Spanish subtitles.
VIDEO:
Widescreen (1.85:1) 16x9
AUDIO:
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/DVS Dolby Digital
5.1 (English); DTS Digital Surround
5.1 (Spanish- French)
Subtitles - English Spanish
French
SPECIAL
FEATURES:
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DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
Digital Copy
provides consumers with a choice of formats from a variety of partners, including options to watch on iPhone®,
iPad®, Android, computers and more.
UltraViolet™
is the revolutionary way for consumers to collect their movies and TV shows in the cloud. UltraViolet™ lets
consumers instantly stream and download to tablets, smartphones, computers and TVs. Now available in both the United States
and Canada.
The Untitled Rick Howard Project
How Do You Share Your Life with Somebody
Her: Love in the Modern Age