I think anybody who falls in love is a freak. It’s a crazy thing to do. It’s kind of like a socially acceptable insanity.

In this day and age, we have come to distance ourselves from the real world so much thanks to technology that human interaction has lost some of its importance. Face-to-face dialogue is rare, and laughter and sadness are shown through emojis. We talk to each other through social media platforms and tiny cameras. Everything is fake and put through an artificial filter that distorts our true emotions. People can even find it difficult to express their feelings towards another or can I even be bothered to say something genuine to someone. In this pastel-colored dystopia that is not too far from our current world, people resort to companies to write fake emotional letters meant to replicate feelings the clients have towards the letters’ receivers. Theodore, played by renowned actor Joaquin Phoenix, is one of these writers. He is a lonely and soon to be divorced man who lives vicariously through the love letters he writes for other people. Theodore seeks comfort through technology and computer games, further distancing himself from those around him and placing himself on a desolate island. However, this all changes when he develops an unconventional relationship with his responsive operating system, Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.

The setting of Her is a prescient future that is not too far removed from our social media dominated existence. Director Spike Jonze teases thought provoking themes throughout the film from the obvious, such as technical dependence, to unanswerable questions on the nature of love and its irrational forces. Although the portrayed relationship seems artificial to outside viewers, the essence is still there. Jonze tells this story as sincere and dream like romance that is admirable for its uncustomary ways. He manages to brilliantly capture the early giddy moments of a new relationship.

I think what makes me relate to this movie so much is that I feel almost exactly like Theodore. I have acquaintances that I can talk to when I can, but I don’t really feel like myself unless I am alone. When surrounded by others , there lies a vast world of strangers. Sometimes I feel like I am lost in a different one and detached from the real one.

Sweet and smart, Spike Jonze’s Her uses its not far off dystopian scenario to convey cynical wisdom about the state of modern human relationships. The film tells a beautiful, yet quirky love story with a much deeper meaning that lies beneath the surface. Her remains one of the most thought provoking films I have seen, and I even found myself reflecting on my own life and relationships. This is a one-of-a-kind film and takes place right around the corner from our own reality.