7) Her
Spike Jonze’s thoughtful and optimistic take on a future where humans forge romantic relationships with their operating systems is a film for the would-be “thinking” couple, as the themes presented are certain to provoke a great amount of thought and dialogue to propel post-viewing conversation. Her does not take the easy way out and condemn Joaquin Phoenix’s Theodore for falling in love with his OS, who dubs herself Samantha. Who could blame him, with the voice of Scarlett Johansson and her even handed, yet caring demeanor? Instead, the film takes the time to explore the depths of his emotions and makes the viewer understand how such an absurd idea could be feasible.
The mixture of humor, sweetness and reality make this a slam dunk choice for a first date movie. It is a viewing that will provoke deep thoughts, and she’ll definitely have strong feelings one way or another. I wouldn’t dare spoil the ending, but as someone who routinely mocks people who cry at the end of movies (I always think back to Chandler Bing’s take on Bambi: “Yes, it was so sad when the guy stopped drawing the deer.”), my eyes were, shall we say, a tad moist. And we all know women dig a man who is in touch with his emotions.
Some might argue that the subject matter is too heavy, but I say that starting off with a choice like this is a good way to weed out the weak minded. Certainly a challenging cinematic adventure, but well worth the effort. As a parable for where we are headed as a society, this is the type of movie to stick with you for days, and even weeks after viewing. Who knows? Maybe it will even inspire her to put down her iPhone and stop tweeting and Instagramming for a few hours.