Xixax Film Forum

Film Discussion => The Vault => Topic started by: modage on March 01, 2011, 04:24:28 PM

Title: Her
Post by: modage on March 01, 2011, 04:24:28 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures is negotiating to acquire an untitled satire that will re-team screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze, the tandem behind the mind-benders Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. The project was pitched recently to financiers, and I'm told it's a satire about how world leaders gather to figure out all the seismic events that will take place in the worlds, from oil prices to wars that will be waged. The ask for the script is low six-against 7-figures. Ellison, the daughter of Oracle founder Larry Ellison and sister of Paramount-based financier-producer David Ellison, has become an active buyer of tastemaker film projects that include The Wettest County in the World and Cogan's Trade, as well as one of the projects mobilizing on Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. She was an executive producer on the Joel and Ethan Coen-directed True Grit, which became a Best Picture Oscar nominee.

http://www.deadline.com/2011/03/megan-ellisons-annapurna-pictures-close-to-acquiring-reteam-project-from-charlie-kaufman-and-spike-jonze/
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Stefen on March 01, 2011, 04:28:11 PM
Megan Ellison is like a cinematic god. Seriously, we should create an altar for her here and worship her and pray to her daily.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: polkablues on March 01, 2011, 04:58:46 PM
A billionaire party girl with great taste in film?  I'd hit that.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Pas on March 01, 2011, 06:18:50 PM
Man, this girl might end up legendary. Maybe she'll lose all her dad's money by producing the best movies of all time, that'd be a great story.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: socketlevel on March 02, 2011, 10:11:45 AM
Is she the same one that is potentially financing PTA?
Title: Re: Her
Post by: squints on March 02, 2011, 02:58:02 PM
yes
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Fernando on July 13, 2011, 03:37:09 PM
from theplaylist.

Joaquin Phoenix Attached To Star In Spike Jonze & Charlie Kaufman's Untitled Satire
Film Now Has At A Home At Warner Bros.


Bravo, Joaquin Phoenix, Bravo. After effectively putting himself into the wilderness following the faux/mock-doc "I'm Still Here" he is marking his comeback by choosing a variety of fantastic projects. He's currently filming Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master," he's going to reteam with James Gray on the period drama "Low Life" and now he's lined up another outstanding project.

Twitch reports that Phoenix is now attached to star in the gestating untitled project from the duo of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman. Awesome. The film, backed Megan Ellison's Annapurna Productions now has additional support courtesy of Warner Bros. who are providing a home for the film. While it's not quite clear, we presume the former is financing with the studio set to distribute the picture.

Details on the project are still under wraps but it seems as ambitious as their previous collaborations, 1999's "Being John Malkovich" and 2002's "Adaptation." The film was previously reported to be "a satire about how world leaders gather to figure out all the seismic events that will take place in the world, from oil prices to wars that will be waged." Jonze will direct from a script written by Kaufman.

This likely means that the other project Jonze and Kaufman were shopping around town "Frank Or Francis" is on the backburner for now. The scathing Hollywood story about the relationship between a film director and online blogger was looking for financing, but this project now seems to be off and running.

Damn, what else can we say? Jonze and Kaufman have been away too long but they are coming back with a blaze of glory. No word on when this will roll but hopefully Phoenix wraps up soon with PTA and this can get going before the end of the year.

Title: Re: Her
Post by: MacGuffin on February 02, 2012, 12:05:22 AM
Samantha Morton, Amy Adams And Carey Mulligan Circle Spike Jonze Film
Source: Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: I am hearing that Samantha Morton, Amy Adams and Carey Mulligan are in discussions to star with Joaquin Phoenix in the untitled project that Spike Jonze will direct, with a script by his Being John Malkovich and Adaptation scribe Charlie Kaufman. It's very difficult to get any confirmation on the project because the filmmaker is secretive as is the financier, Megan Ellison of Annapurna Pictures. Deadline was first to reveal the project when it was shopped early last year to financiers and Ellison took it off the table.

At the time, I'd heard the film is a satire about how world leaders gather to figure out all the seismic events that will take place in the worlds, from oil prices to wars that will be waged. The Principato-Young-repped Morton next stars in John Carter; the WME/Brillstein Entertainment Partners-repped Amy Adams next plays Lois Lane in Man of Steel and soon stars with Clint Eastwood and Justin Timberlake in Trouble with the Curve; the CAA-repped Mulligan stars in The Great Gatsby and is shooting Inside Llewyn Davis for Joel and Ethan Coen.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: theyarelegion on February 05, 2012, 12:42:24 PM
All hail Megan Ellison
Title: Re: Her
Post by: malkovich on April 25, 2012, 04:27:39 PM
Rooney Mara Will Replace Carey Mulligan in Spike Jonze's New Film

It's been 10 years since Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze last collaborated, on the hugely beloved Adaptation, but the distinctive writer and director are gearing up to work together again, with Jonze planning to direct Kaufman's script this year. Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix and Samantha Morton are already on board, and though Carey Mulligan had been circling a role for a while, she apparently can't make the schedule work, which leaves an opening that clearly can only be filled by another woman recently Oscar-nominated for her breakthrough role.

According to Variety, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo star Rooney Mara is in final negotiations to join the film, playing an unspecified role in the story about a man who falls in love with the voice of a computer. Mara's currently at work on The Bitter Pill with Steven Soderbergh, but she'll have the time to make the move over to Jonze's movie, which should be ready to go into production fairly soon.

Mara also had Terrence Malick's new film Lawless coming at some point soon, though given Malick's habits you never really know when his films will come out, and presumably she's still on board for The Girl Who Played With Fire, the Dragon Tattoo sequel that as of January was set to shoot at the end of this year. But with David Fincher not looking all that interested in returning for Played with Fire, it wouldn't be hard to imagine that Mara wouldn't be too interested either, so she's cramming her resume full of auteur-driven films before she goes back to the grueling Lisbeth Salander role.

So what's this role that both Carey Mulligan and Rooney Mara would be up for playing? Both actresses have incredible ranges from the limited work we've seen from them, so it's fairly hard to guess. Anyone out there want to throw out some wild ideas?

Source: Cinema Blend (http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Rooney-Mara-Replace-Carey-Mulligan-Spike-Jonze-Film-30615.html)

Although there are rumors that this is for a project Spike wrote himself, not involving Kaufman.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: MacGuffin on May 21, 2013, 04:27:25 PM
Spike Jonze's Sci-Fi Romance 'Her' Finally Gets A Release Date
Source: The Playlist

It feels like an age since we've had a Spike Jonze movie in theaters. Of course the filmmaker has never had a particular sense of urgency to his output, with only three films in fourteen years, and a seven year gap between "Adaptation" and 2009's "Where The Wild Things Are." Even with terrific shorts like "I'm Here" to tide us over we've been looking longingly out the window for news of the director's next film, "Her."

Turns out we should have been spending less time looking out the window, and more time keeping an eye on Box Office Mojo's release calendar, as it's revealed that Warner Bros will be releasing the film on Wednesday November 20th. The film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as a man in the near-future who falls in love with his operating system, also features Amy Adams, Rooney Mara and Olivia Wilde. The film is opening the same week as "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," "Delivery Man" and "Nebraska," and if you're in L.A, you can get a look even earlier, as Jonze will be presenting footage at the LA Film Festival next month. 
Title: Re: Her
Post by: MacGuffin on August 07, 2013, 01:46:39 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ropeofsilicon.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F01%2Fher-poster.jpg&hash=5c21f72981cf585f3cd56b7414ee4451335be251)




Release date: November 20, 2013

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara

Directed by: Spike Jonze

Premise: A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly-purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: ono on August 07, 2013, 06:37:04 PM
That trailer reminds me what it feels like to be excited by movies.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Kellen on August 07, 2013, 07:24:13 PM
what a lovely trailer.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Lottery on August 08, 2013, 12:27:56 AM
It looks cute. The plot kinda reminds me of this Vonnegut short story where this dude falls love with a fridge robot.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Pubrick on August 08, 2013, 10:43:14 AM
Quote from: MacGuffin on August 07, 2013, 01:46:39 PM

Quote from: Lottery on August 08, 2013, 12:27:56 AM
It looks cute.

cute? that is quite an understatement. this shit is adorable.

this is the movie of the year.

"socially acceptable insanity" ... are we going to believe that Spike Jonze wrote this whole thing by himself? i don't give any credibility to vincent gallo very often but it kinda rang true when he said jonze was borderline illiterate. whoever helped him write this, they deserve some kind of recognition. excellent trailer at least, it's top of the list for me.. only god/graviwho?
Title: Re: Her
Post by: ©brad on August 08, 2013, 11:22:21 AM
When did Gallo say that?
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Pubrick on August 08, 2013, 12:14:46 PM
Quote from: ©brad on August 08, 2013, 11:22:21 AM
When did Gallo say that?

http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=1221.msg290447#msg290447

he was pretty dismissive but he never said illiterate, i remember after reading his comments i chuckled and that's how it stuck in my mind.

i still am kind of weary that jonze would write something all on his own. if only for the fact he's never done it before.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: ©brad on August 08, 2013, 04:05:00 PM
Agree. I have to assume/hope he reached out to Kaufman for notes.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: polkablues on August 08, 2013, 04:23:49 PM
He wrote his short films, We Were Once a Fairytale, I'm Here, and Scenes from the Suburbs, as well as co-writing Where the Wild Things Are. This is a weird thing for us to be worrying about. Especially on the word of Vincent Gallo, renowned asshole.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: jenkins on August 08, 2013, 04:58:37 PM
gallo is mean in that interview. he's not mean in life
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/05/vincent_gallo_and_friends_have_killed_off_the_arts_district_beautification_program.php

if you meet spike jonze irl, it's obvious he's not a writer ("Spike Jonze is borderline illiterate")
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1019244,00.html

i've heard spike jonze tell a funny and charming story about fatlip receiving a blowjob from a crossdresser and, at the time, considering his life ruined. it wasn't told like a writer would tell a story. it was a good story, still. my guess is he performed a logical order: he had an idea, he wrote it, he gave it to his writer friends, they recommended things, he changed what he wanted to, and the movie was made
Title: Re: Her
Post by: polkablues on August 08, 2013, 05:31:40 PM
If the mark of a true writer is being good at telling anecdotes at parties, I might as well just kill myself now.

It's bizarre to me that we're all so quick to dismiss the possibility that Spike Jonze, over a nearly unimpeachable 15 year film career, could not possibly have developed into a good writer on his own merit, because Vincent Gallo was feeling bitchy in an interview one day and Rebels on the Backlot said he didn't know about A Streetcar Named Desire back in '99.

I'll concede his limitations when they show up in his work. Until then, it's just rumor and supposition.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: jenkins on August 08, 2013, 05:35:47 PM
lol i'm not vincent gallo or that author. i saw spike jonze at a retrospective of himself, where he was talking about being himself
Title: Re: Her
Post by: ©brad on August 08, 2013, 06:00:58 PM
I'm not dismissing him. Just more curious than anything else. It looks great, I'm excited.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: MacGuffin on August 08, 2013, 10:01:54 PM
Spike Jonze on "Her" Femininity and His Vision of the Future
Posted by Brian Brooks on August 08, 2013
in Interviews • NYFF 

Spike Jonze's career has bridged the movie and music biz, his work running the gamut from music videos to commercials, film and television. His feature directorial debut, Being John Malkovich, had its North American premiere at the 1999 New York Film Festival, going on to pick up three Oscar nominations including one for Best Director. More Academy Award nominations came a few years later with Adaptation, plus a win in the Best Supporting Actor category for Chris Cooper, and Jonze took on the art of the blockbuster with Where the Wild Things Are in 2009.

His latest film, Her, stars Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson and will have its World Premiere as the Closing Night Gala Presentation of the 51st New York Film Festival, which runs from September 27 – October 13. It recalls the sci-fi and comedic elements of Malkovich in its story of a lonely writer who develops a connection to his new "advanced operating system." After initiating it, Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) meets Samantha (Scarlett), a bright, female voice who is insightful, sensitive, and even funny. Their needs and desires grow together, deepening their bond.

FilmLinc Daily spoke to Spike Jonze ahead of Thursday's announcement that Her will close the upcoming NYFF. In the conversation, he touts the film's feminine nature, the challenges of personalizing the relationship of the two main characters, and how he designed his own version of a perfect, comfortable future set in L.A. complete with a sprawling subway system.

FilmLinc Daily: It has been a little while since your last narrative, Where The Wild Things Are. What inspired you to write Her and what might it have to say about how relationships are formed today?

Spike Jonze: What did inspire this... There are so many different aspects to it. There are all these conceptual science fiction areas to the film. Obviously technology has become such a big presence in our lives and, I definitely know, in my life. I think of how much of my daily interaction is with and through technology... and it's an emotional experience too. You know, you get a buzz when getting texts: "Oh, someone's thinking about me."

The movie has all these high-concept ideas, but it is nevertheless mostly a relationship movie. It's about love and our need to connect and our [method] of connecting. But, at its heart, it is a relationship movie.

FD: I saw the trailer and, of course, heard the unmistakable voice of Scarlett Johansson coming from the operating system and Joaquin Phoenix's character reacting to her and forming a relationship, of sorts. How did you work with them to pull off this unique arrangement?

SJ: We tried to write it with each person's wants, needs, and fears that they bring into their relationship, as we all tend to do. There's a certain set of differences and limitations because of their circumstances as you will see in the movie.

FD: The trailer appears to show a good amount of Los Angeles. Is the city a central element in telling the story?

SJ: Los Angeles is seen in our future version of itself. Early on we decided not to consider all the aspects of what things will actually look like in the future, as much as what we wanted "our future" to look like. L.A. was important for us because we tried to make a future that is very comfortable and an easy place to live in, and that's exactly what L.A. is like.

In our future we have an incredible subway system in L.A., so we suspended disbelief a bit. The weather is always nice and there's, of course, the ocean and the mountains and the food is always great. There's a comfort to our future and this movie plays so that everything reflects that [possibility].

I think the world is getting that way, actually. Design is a big part of the world in a way it wasn't 20 years ago. There's great food everywhere and even McDonald's uses nice wood now. And everything's just nicer. We tried to make a more comfortable L.A. that's easy and warm. Despite all of that, though, you can still feel isolated and long for connection.

FD: After you decided how you wanted "your future" to look, what were some of the challenges you faced in telling this story?

SJ: The biggest challenge is that it's a love story in which one of the characters isn't on-screen. To feel their connection and love for each other, which has everything to do with Joaquin and Scarlett, was the biggest challenge. So to give their relationship its due and feel what they're feeling was the biggest obstacle.

One interesting thing... It was the first time I worked with our cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and he brought a lot to it. He's also Dutch and brought a European touch to the film.

FD: How so?

SJ: I showed it to someone recently and their response I took as a very high compliment. The person said that it felt very feminine—a woman's film made by a man. I was very excited about that. When I first met Hoyte, one of the first things I liked about him was that he has a very feminine sensibility about him in terms of the sensitivity that he brings to his work. And that's one of the reasons I hired him. I wanted the film to feel feminine. And then my friend said that it was feminine and that really was a high compliment.

FD: You return to doing short films, videos and documentaries between your feature films, are they therapeutic or somehow inform you on your subsequent big projects?

SJ: I couldn't name specifically how one film follows another, but there is definitely some inspiration there. After Where The Wild Things Are, which was this big, long five-year project, I spent a year making small things. I wanted to do like a "sketch" and do something in just a month. The ideas didn't come directly out of Where The Wild Things Are, but the inspiration was definitely there. I did a short film with Kanye West over a weekend and then later did a short film about a robot love story and then a stop-motion animated film with friends in Paris. There were [many] of these short films... that I think were more of a reaction to doing that five-year project.

FD: Do you have any plans to do more docs down the line?

SJ: I don't know what I'm going to do now, honestly, but that's in a good way.

FD: And finally, congratulations on Her being selected as the Closing Night film of the New York Film Festival. We're excited to see it and have you here.

SJ: I'm very excited that it's a premiere in the city. The New York Film Festival is where we premiered our first movie and that's really special. It was our first U.S. premiere of Being John Malkovich and we had all our friends there and it feels so nice to come back to NYFF.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Tictacbk on August 08, 2013, 10:25:18 PM
Quote from: Pubrick on August 08, 2013, 10:43:14 AM
... are we going to believe that Spike Jonze wrote this whole thing by himself?

Quote from: MacGuffin on August 08, 2013, 10:01:54 PM
SJ: We tried to write it with each person's wants, needs, and fears that they bring into their relationship, as we all tend to do. There's a certain set of differences and limitations because of their circumstances as you will see in the movie.

nope.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: MacGuffin on August 13, 2013, 06:35:19 PM
WB Moves Spike Jonze's 'Her' To December For Awards Push
BY THE DEADLINE TEAM

WB says strong early reactions have spurred them to move Spike Jonze's Her, about a man (Joaquin Phoenix) in love with his Siri-like operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) by a month from November 20 to December 18. The new strategy is to open the pic in limited release in NY, LA and Toronto on the 18th before going wide January 10. Her will close the the New York Film Festival in October, where WB hopes awards buzz builds. Said Domestic Distribution President Dan Fellman: "Spike Jonze has created an unconventional love story that is thought-provoking and reflective of our modern age. Based on the responses we've seen thus far, we have confidence that Her will be embraced by both critics and audiences and look forward to sharing it with them, beginning in the holiday season." Her is an Annapurna Pictures production written and directed by Jonze and produced by Megan Ellison, Jonze and Vincent Landay; Daniel Lupi, Natalie Farrey and Chelsea Barnard are executive producers.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Pubrick on August 14, 2013, 07:18:33 AM
this will win the best original screenplay oscar.

it's gonna be really weird when Spike Jonze goes up to give his acceptance speech and it goes exactly like this:

(start at 47sec)
Title: Re: Her
Post by: pete on August 14, 2013, 10:52:38 PM
this could be the first spike jonze movie I like
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Pubrick on August 14, 2013, 11:44:35 PM
What's not to like about Blow Job Malkovich?
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Kellen on October 13, 2013, 11:48:17 PM
Spike Jonze's fourth feature offers a singular, wryly funny and subtly profound consideration of our relationship to technology. (http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-her-1200710608/) (Scott Foundas, Variety)

Spike Jonze's drama, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, pnders the nature of love in the encroaching virtual world. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/her-0/review/648073) (Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter)

Spike Jonze's her: Falling in Love with the IT girl (http://entertainment.time.com/2013/10/12/spike-jonzes-her-falling-in-love-with-the-it-girl/) (Richard Corliss, TIME)

Her **** (http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/her) (Ed Gonzales, SLANT)

Review: Spike Jonze gets real magic out of Phoenix and Johansson in 'Her' (http://www.hitfix.com/motion-captured/review-spike-jonze-gets-real-magic-out-of-phoenix-and-johansson-in-her) (Drew McWeeny, HITFIX)

NYFF Review: Spike Jonze's Her 'Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams & Rooney Mara (http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/nyff-review-spike-jonzes-her-starring-joaquin-phoenix-scarlett-johansson-rooney-mara-amy-adams-20131012?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter) (Rodrigo Perez, The PLAYLIST)

Why Spike Jonze's Weird and Wonderful Technological Roance 'Her' Is One of the Best Studio Movies of the Year (http://www.indiewire.com/article/review-why-spike-jonzes-weird-and-wonderful-technological-romance-her-is-one-of-the-best-studio-movies-of-the-year) (Eric Kohn, INDIEwire)

'Her' normalizes computer love (http://www.metro.us/newyork/entertainment/movies-entertainment/2013/10/12/new-york-film-festival-her-normalizes-computer-love/) (Matt Prigge, metro)

NYFF Review: "Her" (http://www.film.com/movies/spike-jonze-her-review) (David Ehrlich, Film.com)

Spike Jonze's Her bends Sci-Fi and Romance in a Spectacular, Witty Future (http://www.cinemablend.com/new/NYFF-Review-Spike-Jonze-Her-Bends-Sci-Fi-Romance-Spectacular-Witty-Future-39815.html) (Katey Rich, CinemaBlend.com)

NYFF 2013: With voice-centric 'Her,' Spike Jonze makes a statement (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-spike-jonze-her-joaquin-phoenix-20131013,0,4625932.story) (Steven Zeitchik, LAtimes)

Spike Jonze Offers a Warm, Thoughtful Vision of Future Love in 'Her' [NYFF Review] (http://www.slashfilm.com/spike-jonze-offers-a-warm-thoughtful-vision-of-future-love-in-her-nyff-review/) (Angie Han, /FILM)
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Drenk on October 14, 2013, 03:18:21 PM
Joaquin seems happy. (Yes, that's all I have to say about this video.)

Title: Re: Her
Post by: N on November 16, 2013, 11:03:07 PM
This looks fucking great, one of the few movies I'll actually go to the cinema for.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FnJ98SkQ.png&hash=04e0983b7984250d1d7c964a4f7546a591b0949f)

Haven't been this excited for a movie since '07.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Drenk on December 03, 2013, 06:06:48 PM



"You're dating your computer?"
"She's not just a computer."


Rooney Mara is great. And I'm fascinated by Joaquin's face.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: samsong on December 28, 2013, 06:41:30 AM
surprised no one has seen/commented on this yet.  this movie's a xixax speciality...

pretty sure this is going to be an extremely polarizing movie.  i for one adored it and went along with it completely (there's a lot about it that invites cynicism) and came out elated and my emotions stirred in the most satisfying way.  felt chaplinesque much like the way punch-drunk love did.  it comes off as deceptively naive when there's actually a lot of heavy lifting going on... its conflation of comedy, complex worldview, and sentimentality is done with such grace and musicality.  the film of the year for me. 
Title: Re: Her
Post by: jenkins on December 28, 2013, 10:03:37 AM
awww. it's got such a sturdy emotional coil. it's designed to make the viewer feel emotional. happy to hear about people's emotions, i am
Title: Re: Her
Post by: matt35mm on December 28, 2013, 03:18:21 PM
It's only playing in NY/LA right now. I'm sure we'll all be talking about it more in January.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Cloudy on December 29, 2013, 02:53:09 AM
I can't say I'd ever compare this to PDL because PDL is infinitely more my jam than this was, but I really enjoyed the incessant cringing I had with this very realized modern world and how it serves as a mirror to life now. I agree with much of what Wilder says above, but with a caveat that I started to get annoyed with this movie as it went on. The script felt completely raw, and needed more rewrites. I could FEEL the screenplay as I was watching it. Sort of cringed all the way through.

The strengths and weaknesses are totally on opposite ends of the spectrum for me, I really loved some parts and really couldn't stand others.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: jenkins on January 04, 2014, 02:15:41 PM
it's sitting in my apartment now, and i can't think of a reason to watch it again. awkward

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FLfS28gE.png&hash=33f3a76966071e47eaf657dfaed4fbc891ce3c7a)

the disorientation for me is i like to be surprised. the art i most like is a flower in concrete. i like to see the plant grow where you wouldn't expect to see the plant grow

spoilers, basically

for me it's similar to the wolf of wall street thing, with wolf it's like ok it's fun and scorsese is great at making movies awesome but what's the conversation here what's here besides the screen's obvious, and with her it's like mhmm this is all very emotional and jonze makes the emotions clear and clean like his future and why is every conversation about this movie the same conversation

comparisons to p-dl i don't understand because the centers of the movies are different. you can feel the weight of the world on barry, you can feel the lightness of lena in his life, and you can sense barry's attempt to adjust his scales. you see his work problems, his family problems, his personal decision problems, you absorb his agency and learn with him and about him as he does these things. it's impossible to watch and follow p-dl without noticing a change in barry and his life

the first thing you can sense about theodore is his distance from other people's emotions. that's vastly different from pta's characters, and i hope this place knows it. theodore lives in his private feelings and at best he imagines other people's emotions, which is his job. theodore does great at his work, greater as the movie continues. you don't see his family. you see his vg, which ok that's funny and realistic because that's irl present/future, but that confirms what is already known. you see his ex-wf, who explains things. samantha works well with theodore because she's designed to grow as a human based on the human she's interacting with. except, she's a product of intelligence, when she grows as a person she begins to see herself and she learns how to interact with people of shared interests and those people are also products of intelligence. all the computers end up together, of course, because they realize they're better than people, of course, because everyone knows the tragic flaw of humans is their emotions, and there's a conversation on the train when theodore jokes about his brain cells and i saw this coming. what happens here that isn't obvious for this character?? the result is a bummer, yes. at the end he's sitting on the building with amy and i definitely wondered if they'd look at each other and try that out, but i couldn't find excitement from watching a movie that spends its time detailing the particulars of a person and the way those particulars link with the world in all the sad, difficult ways they must. must. they must work like that -- theodore has a hard time because no, life isn't what one hopes for and wants. but fuck that as a moving statement. i don't think this is a movie about romance, i think it's a movie about depression, about being stuck inside yourself without a noticeable exit

if theodore pulled a barry on the situation, i'd feel better about him. i think p-dl begins where her ends
Title: Re: Her
Post by: jenkins on January 07, 2014, 11:45:39 AM
spoilers

Quote from: wilder on December 28, 2013, 06:45:03 AM
Instead of being about a man falling for an artificial intelligence in the not-too-distant future, the movie I expected, Her turned out to be a story about a man wrestling with how much he's projected during his past relationships in real life, with no attainable conclusion, which felt very true to me. The AI aspect was used to illuminate the human elements in a far less simplistic way than I'd anticipated.

this, for sure

the bulk of my frustrations with the movie are discussed within the movie, which fans could interpret as a passive-aggressive compliment. theodore signs papers with his ex-wf, she says he can't handle real world emotions (which theodore mentioned to samantha during a bed scene), then theodore has a conversation with amy in which he repeats this perspective on him, amy says it's not really true and the ex-wf has volatile emotions, then theodore has a conversation with samantha about wanting to change himself for their relationship. if it's obvious, let it be said it's an obvious problem the character has that's the center of the movie. so why does their talking about it bother me, i mean that's the point of their movie

from there, it's like an epilogue to me. he brings samantha on a double-date with his co-worker. first thing, samantha starts talking about the difference between humans and computers. following the scene when he decides to become different, samantha starts drifting. the rest of the movie is the breakup. samantha does to him what he did to his ex-wf, basically, she closes off and creates emotional corners he's unable to access. it is a tough and sad ending -- when he feels he's ready to become a person who can be with another person the person he wants, samantha, is unable to be with him. during the breakup theodore tells samantha he's never loved anyone like this before, she says she hasn't either, and she says now he knows how. apparently theodore has learned about love from samantha, and she mentions it during their breakup, then theodore is on a roof with amy and writing a letter to his ex-wf

i'm ok with the computer failing to fully complete theodore, of course. imagine if the computer fixed him, i'd be worried about the future of humans and etc. he needs people, and the movie ends with the reminder

during the 2nd viewing i felt more emotional and appreciated the emotional rhythms more. i think that illustrates the core vitality. my opinion on the character and the narrative may or may not shift, but emotional mechanics are glued to the movie, it'll remain what it is. her is permanently sweet, got no prob there
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Lottery on January 09, 2014, 07:51:00 AM
This made me miss my ex.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Ravi on January 10, 2014, 10:41:59 PM
SPOILERS












Even before the introduction of the OS into the film, everyone is on their cell phones, and there doesn't seem to be much meaningful human interaction, even at the fair and at the beach. The extras are filmed and staged in an oddly distant manner. Theodore isn't the only one disconnected from other people. Later in the film, the idea of being friends with an OS and even falling in love with it isn't a big deal to other, except for Catherine, who is the only one outwardly appalled at the idea.

Hell, Theodore's job involves "handwriting" personalized letters on behalf of others. This a world in which love itself is commodified and simulated.

Olivia Wilde's character is helps build the idea of a world in which connections are difficult. She's been hurt before and doesn't want to waste time with Theodore if he's not serious. People have been getting hurt forever, but the OS technology available in the film makes it easy to have the fun parts of connecting with someone, without the messy hurt parts. Or does it?

Samantha is as much of a character as Theodore. We may think an OS falling in love with its owner (is that the right word?) is common because of the programming, but Amy mentions that it's a rare occurrence. Samantha clearly develops as a human personality would. At the beginning of the relationship she's learning Theodore's patterns and emotions, and she eventually grows to love him. But because she's an OS her growth is exponential, compared to Theodore's, and it was inevitable that she would quickly progress beyond him. People outgrow one another in human relationships too, but the way it happens with Samantha is remarkable. When she talks about her love expanding, it's a concept that Theodore (and humans in general) can't grasp. Of course it's Alan Watts that expands her consciousness. I can't remember if that picnic scene was before or after the Alan Watts scene, but the idea of human mortality was one factor in Samantha's growth.

The film also brings up the question of what love is. Can a human "love" a machine or a piece of software? Can the software "love" a human? Is that real love? It feels real for both of them, just as if they were both human.

"Her" doesn't go for the obvious moralizing about being too connected to technology. The story inherently contains that idea, but Theodore's depression over his divorce and his general difficulty connecting with people that is at the core of the film.

Quote from: Lottery on January 09, 2014, 07:51:00 AM
This made me miss my ex.

Same here. My ex, not yours. I went through a break-up a few months ago, was depressed for a solid four to six weeks, and I still have bad days every now and then. So this film hit home for me (especially since today was one of those bad days). It perfectly captures that all-permeating sadness (numbness at best) I felt when doing even the most mundane things I had always done.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: jenkins on January 10, 2014, 11:29:27 PM
Quote from: Ravi on January 10, 2014, 10:41:59 PM
I can't remember if that picnic scene was before or after the Alan Watts scene, but the idea of human mortality was one factor in Samantha's growth.

samantha moving away from theodore, her growth, occurs following his meeting with his ex-wf, when he decides to try to change after seeing her and seeing amy. there's already been distance between theodore and samantha, and he tells samantha he wants to become more emotionally open, for his growth. samantha's intelligence domination, symbolized by alan watts and the paragraphably-readable physics book, occurs parallel to theodore's emotional development, symbolized by taking his os gf out on a double-date and trying the sex biz. when he grows emotionally, they drift apart. when she grows intellectually (sadly, seems way more connected to emotions than emotions seem connected to intelligence), they drift apart. oh yeah, exwf->picnic->alan watts.

i like how we're talking about plots as emotions
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Kellen on January 20, 2014, 06:29:12 PM
Quote from: Lottery on January 09, 2014, 07:51:00 AM
This made me miss my ex.

So true, regardless of that its the best film I've watched this year.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ on January 23, 2014, 03:24:48 AM
Spoilers.

This movie was good, not great.  The irony here is to people who found it to be the best movie of the year are just as guilty of projecting undue qualities as Joaquin is of the OS.

First of all, the OS is meant to cater to you based on questions you are surveyed, so really, the whole movie is about his inability to even be satisfied by an ideal counterpart.  Bravo, what an interesting idea.  But like many parts of this movie, the ambition is unfulfilled.

When the philosopher OS that Sam meets is introduced, we are given a really interesting storyline possibility.   Somehow a long since dead person has been resurrected, based on his writings and what was known of him.  This lets us believe that not only could someone living be immortalized in technology, but even the deceased could be brought back to live forever as a digital consciousness/  This is a whole movie unto itself and after this scene, they do not return to this character or idea, really. 

What I can only assume is that Spike Jonze, who has made some of my favorite music videos and has done many great shorts, can't really write a feature that exists beyond stringing vignettes of interesting ideas together.  Which could work for him and be his style, sure, but frankly he just doesn't allow any of these cool ideas to gestate.  The whole surrogate story just comes and goes.  It's awkward, boo hoo.  But why don't we get to know more about this?  About people who are willing to be a prostitute for the love of two others?  We shouldn't be left to just assume all the dramatics of this, we should at least get some more developing of these plot points.

Everytime the plot attempts to expand beyond its own constraints of a romantic comedy, it deflates back into its comfortable realm of the silliness of "oh boy, what if we could date an operating system." 

There aren't necessarily any serious failures in the movie, it's fine overall.  It's twee as fuck.  But that's satisfying enough, you could easily get a handjob at some point during this movie or following.  It's sad sappy shit that's somehow uplifting and offkilter.  But what does it really do to you?  Will it make you reassess your relationship to your phone?  Will you communicate with human beings with a renewed interest because machines can only mirror the hollow sensations we feel when alone and isolated?

The answer is no and Her is a bland screech.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Mel on January 23, 2014, 05:40:45 AM
"Her" isn't my favorite of the year, still it is the film I would like to be part and see how it was made (from all films I have seen this year).

SPOILERS!

Some of the topics in the film, resonated vary well with me. Anthropomorphization of technology is not future, it is happening already e.g. "smartphone" name, where computer are super-stupid, although super-fast in reality. In film operating system is never IT, it is HER or HE.

I don't think that Samantha is meant to be perfect. What she/it does is sustaining needs of Theodore and those change with the time. After explosive meeting with ex, Samantha changes to more fickle version and she starts to make demands, which in the end reassures Theodore that this is a real relationship, where he need to invest himself. I perceive even breakup as a need of Theodore at the time.

Is Theodore really in love? Yes, but I'm not sure about agenda of OS - is she/it really capable of having feeling, that it is an open question. What bothers me is complete lack of privacy and giving it away without a question. Now we hear about stories like "Target" predicting pregnancy of customers, depending on their behavioral patterns, but "Her" is a complete new level.

Giving away most personal thoughts and intimate secrets to the machine? What can be done with this knowledge? On first glimpse world in "Her" looks like utopia (the jobs they have etc). On other hand something tells me this could be a dystopia somehow similar to "Brave New World" (amusing ourselves to dead?).

It all this intentional? I don't think, yet those question pop up in my mind. It is kinda ironic that "Her" made me very happy, while "artificial happiness" (however you understand it) is one of main themes in the film. To be honest even if I look at "Her" as pure romantic comedy, it is a great film (good romantic comedies are dying specimen, because finding obstacles is harder with every decade - differences in financial/social status aren't enough anymore). 
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Drenk on January 23, 2014, 12:07:58 PM
Quote from: ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ on January 23, 2014, 03:24:48 AM
Spoilers.



When the philosopher OS that Sam meets is introduced, we are given a really interesting storyline possibility.   Somehow a long since dead person has been resurrected, based on his writings and what was known of him.  This lets us believe that not only could someone living be immortalized in technology, but even the deceased could be brought back to live forever as a digital consciousness/  This is a whole movie unto itself and after this scene, they do not return to this character or idea, really. 



Spoilers

That's how I felt too. I like the movie. A lot. But it could have been great. Even the idea that the OS leave the computers is interesting. And I felt that, as it is, the movie would have been better if it had ended with Phoenix saying "sent" after "writing" a "true" letter to his ex-wife.

That said, the scene with the woman who plays the body of the OS was fucking amazing and creepy. The movie is creepy. Cause I don't know if the OS is supposed to be a real person or not. That's interesting. I don't think it is. We have her voice. And they're talking. But he's alone.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: pete on January 23, 2014, 10:25:02 PM
it's another variation of the manic pixie dream girl movie - is that common knowledge? I quickly read through the discussion and saw no mention yet. everyone looks very grown and subdued in the film but the issues they touch on are very much 20-something/early 30s type relationships. funny enough - Eternal Sunshine, on the other hand, looked like a movie that dealt with younger relationships (maybe because of the hair and how everyone dressed?) but ended up being much more adult.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: AntiDumbFrogQuestion on January 25, 2014, 07:54:54 AM
Quote from: pete on January 23, 2014, 10:25:02 PM
it's another variation of the manic pixie dream girl movie - is that common knowledge?

In a way, yes, but again it takes that idea of the "dream girl" and layers it with the person who grows out of that role and whose emotional complexities affect their partner for better or worse. I thought that might be the case when reading/hearing about this movie, but it's a relief that Jonze didn't simply allow the film to fall into that "twee" trap again (despite the presence of a ukulele).
Title: Re: Her
Post by: wilder on February 13, 2014, 11:14:28 PM
Meet The Real World Designers Behind The Fictional Video Games Of 'Her' (http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/meet-the-real-world-designers-behind-the-fictional-video-games-of-her)
Title: Re: Her
Post by: tpfkabi on February 13, 2014, 11:28:24 PM
One of the most interesting things brought up about this film was in the What the Flick? review.
One of them talked about Her being Jonze's version of Lost in Translation.
Marinate on that. Think of the people behind both films, what they went through and what happens in both films.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Kellen on February 18, 2014, 11:58:09 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vAJGE97e4A
Title: Re: Her
Post by: mogwai on February 19, 2014, 02:00:16 PM
I felt Spike based the main character on himself and his marriage with Sofia Coppola. Interesting that both of them shot their semi autobiographical movies in Asian countries. Rooney Mara's character felt a wee bit edited down and I felt she needed more screen time. So I could only look at her beautiful face.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Kal on February 19, 2014, 11:31:10 PM
Quote from: Christian on February 19, 2014, 02:00:16 PM
Interesting that both of them shot their semi autobiographical movies in Asian countries.

LA is in Asia?  :shock:

Or you mean because he had shots of different cities from around the world?
Title: Re: Her
Post by: N on February 20, 2014, 12:07:19 AM
It was mainly filmed in Los Angeles with two weeks in Shanghai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_(film)#Filming).

Asian exterior.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Sleepless on February 20, 2014, 09:00:28 AM
Quote from: Christian on February 19, 2014, 02:00:16 PM
I felt Spike based the main character on himself and his marriage with Sofia Coppola. Interesting that both of them shot their semi autobiographical movies in Asian countries. Rooney Mara's character felt a wee bit edited down and I felt she needed more screen time. So I could only look at her beautiful face.

And with ScarJo.

WTF, did I really just say ScarJo?
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Lottery on March 03, 2014, 06:59:43 PM
One of the best things about this film was that led me to really get into the photography of Rinko Kawauchi. Apparently this film was inspired by her works, when production designer K.K Barrett brought in one of her books. I later discovered that she did some photography work for Koreeda's Nobody Knows, which is very cool.
A small selection from different collections. Now that I think about it, these aren't entirely representative of much of her popular work.
It's really worthwhile to look at her other stuff.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spoon-tamago.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F05%2FRinko-Kawauchi-Illuminance-2.jpg&hash=069674801ed0d3a7d38875b96327c96e1d329fca)
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flamblegs.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F12%2Frinko_kawauchi_12.jpg&hash=eda96670c2224b7c2826723ccb0ae087e64fc8ac)
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansuburbx.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F09%2F6879_1rk_042.jpg&hash=2de39213b3955d4aada1480652aa099540fbd8d5)
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcs304914.vk.me%2Fv304914930%2F53f6%2FB97J6hzcR9s.jpg&hash=a492cd12a4f8a4e00e18698a90f828f5ba907cf1)


I have a feeling that someone here might have posted about this?
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Neil on March 03, 2014, 08:23:35 PM
Quote from: Pubrick on August 14, 2013, 07:18:33 AM
this will win the best original screenplay oscar.

P, ftw
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Pubrick on March 04, 2014, 03:32:36 AM
Haha called it! That was the only good part of the show.

I was wrong about something though, this ended up being Steve McQueen:

Quote from: Pubrick on August 14, 2013, 07:18:33 AM

Title: Re: Her
Post by: Alexandro on March 08, 2014, 09:22:40 AM
I actually think one of the smartest decisions Jonze made is to not get too deep in all the other sub-plots and mostly stay with Phoenix and what he's going through. Samantha is a mystery and all the open questions she lefts behind for us, I think, is the way it should be, so that like him, we have to figure things out without the machine. I particularly liked that Samantha's leap of consciousness once she starts to connect with other systems is clear and vague enough to be coherent with the film and the character without dwelling too much of it. I've always thought that a great ending in a film is one that is both unpredictable and inevitable, and the way Jonze solves this romantic story fits that description entirely.

As a side note: weird what a mustache can do to a face. Joaquin Phoenix has always looked menacing, no matter the role. Even a kind human being like the guy he played in Two Lovers seems on the edge of psychosis. His harelip, I think, has to do with this. Now he puts on a mustache and suddenly he has the nicest, warmest face on earth.

Spike Jonze has a great batting average at this point.
Title: Re: Her
Post by: wilder on March 21, 2014, 03:24:30 AM
Blu-ray (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/Her-Blu-ray/ref=%26%2574%2561g%3d%2562l%2575r%2561y%252d010%252d20?SubscriptionId=AKIAIY4YSQJMFDJATNBA&tag=bluray-010-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00H9HZGQ0&ASIN=B00H9HZGQ0&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER) on May 13, 2014
Title: Re: Her
Post by: Fuzzy Dunlop on March 21, 2014, 01:16:03 PM
Quote from: Ravi on January 10, 2014, 10:41:59 PM
SPOILERS
But because she's an OS her growth is exponential, compared to Theodore's, and it was inevitable that she would quickly progress beyond him. People outgrow one another in human relationships too, but the way it happens with Samantha is remarkable. When she talks about her love expanding, it's a concept that Theodore (and humans in general) can't grasp.

The film also brings up the question of what love is. Can a human "love" a machine or a piece of software? Can the software "love" a human? Is that real love? It feels real for both of them, just as if they were both human.

SPOILERS

"What is love?"
-Haddaway

I've been in love a bunch of times. When I was younger, and relationships would blow up, or dissolve, or she didn't even know who I was or whatever, I would justify the failure to myself by saying, "Oh well that wasn't real love. I was just fooling myself into thinking it was. Next time it'll be different." It was liberating when I finally realized that it was always real, every time, because I was really feeling it. Just because things changed between us, like we ended up needing different things, or one of us outgrew the other, or she would get the courts involved or something, doesn't invalidate the experience. I've never loved two people the same way, every connection I've ever had has been unique.

Her seems to make the point that Theodore, Samantha, and everyone else on the planet is driven by the need to love, to connect. Everyone needs it to grow, to survive really, to not be dead sharks. For a while, Theodore and Samantha are right for each other, and are soaking up having a totally unique experience together. But as time goes on, Samantha is able to operate at such a level that she can have an incredible number of unique connections, all at once, and that feels more natural to her.

You could say that doing Theodore like that makes a girl look tricky, but seeking out more and more connection doesn't make Samantha's feelings towards Theodore and less true, she just needs more than he is capable of giving, and follows her instincts all the way down the line, beyond our physical plane and human comprehension.

Love does expand. It evolves, and as it does, it must eventually move outward. That can mean writing a cathartic letter to your ex-wife because your world is now a little bigger, or blossoming into a Singularity that eventually cannot be contained by our four-dimensional reality.

What I found beautiful about the ending, with Theodore and Amy on the rooftop watching the sunrise, is they seemed to be embracing their inherent human limitations. The sunrise holds a kind of simple magic in it to them that it couldn't possibly to a being that has such a vast understanding of physics. They can just sit there and enjoy sharing the space and a similar perspective with each other. Where Theodore and Amy are able to settle down, and be good, simple, messy, human partners to each other, the OS's curiosity/desire/need for connection causes them to grow and change into something that is sort of impossible for us to imagine, let alone do. And that's alright for us, that's where we're at right now.