journal features

movie review - Her

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-eight years and a million words

Toronto, 2014.05.07

This is a science fiction film about a fellow who falls in love with a synthetic intelligent that's partially resident in his "phone". As the story unfolds, it's clear that "her" completely eclipses him, and in fact that she's at any time involved in unlimited conversations and has fallen in love with several (several!) others. What I liked about this is that rather than get distracted by what the AI's are up to - they eventually decide to leave Earth - they keep the story focused on the relationship as the human struggles to get his head/heart around what's happening.

Recommended.

rand()m quote

One day you will take a fork in the road, and you're going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go. If you go one way, you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and get good assignments. Or you can go the other way and you can do something [...] for yourself. If you decide to do something, you may not get promoted and get good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won't have to compromise yourself. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That's when you have to make a decision. To be or to do.

—John Boyd, US Air Force