Love in the Digital Age

"...sometimes I think I have felt everything I'm ever gonna feel, and from here on out I'm not gonna feel anything new... just... lesser versions of what I've already felt."

This line from Theodore, played by Joaquin Phoenix, conveys the quiet anguish that has consumed him since splitting with his wife (Rooney Mara). Although Spike Jonze's Her features some overly quirky characters and an interesting view of fashion in the near future, it's story is one of loneliness and the search for human connection in a world where its availability is scarce. As dating sites and apps increase in number and diminish in complexity, and the beauty of intimate, face-to-face conversation becomes lost on a generation accustomed to the comforting barriers of instant messaging and texting, the search for love has gone digital.

Following the failed marriage that has left him scarred, withdrawn, and "mopey," as described by his good friend Amy (an unkempt Amy Adams), Theodore settles into a solo routine of work, video games, and sleep. He works for a company that specializes in writing letters on behalf of its clients, often letters to loved ones. In the future envisioned by Jonze, advanced software allows Theodore and his coworkers to dictate the letters instead of typing them out. Theodore excels at composing thoughtful messages but has lost the confidence and desire to use his natural romanticism to benefit his social life.

Enter Samantha, a newly developed operating system that self-customizes to best complement the personality of its owner. Voiced beautifully by Scarlett Johansson, Samantha speaks earnestly with Theodore about his dreams, concerns, and the meaning of life. In turn, Samantha expresses excitement over her budding understanding of human nature and frustration with the limitations of her existence, for lack of a better word. It's left to the viewer to determine whether Samantha is truly capable of experiencing emotion or is just simulating it per her - or its - programming. Johansson made me lean towards the former, while logic pulled me towards the latter; this is one of Her's many appeals. It makes you consider the nature of relationships in a way few films with human couples can. It's a testament to Jonze's writing and the performance of the actors.

In Samantha, Theodore finds a confidant and what most would describe as a soul mate. He opens up about the failed relationship with his wife and shares his confusion over what went wrong. They go on dates, Samantha composes music that reflects their time together and their budding relationship, and the physical obstacle to sex is somewhat overcome.

Although the physical obstacles are what you'd assume would pose the most harm to the relationship, it's Theodore's insecurities and Samantha's desire for something "more than this" that threatens their arrangement. The joys, frustrations, and pitfalls of their romance are familiar to anyone who has been in a loving relationship.

Despite their struggles, Samantha and Theodore, together, learn much about themselves and their capabilities. Her's ending will confuse and frustrate many, but it closes with a reassuring reminder that, despite what Theodore once believed, there is always more to feel.

*Available at redbox

May You Dream of the Devil and "Wake in Fright"

"All the little devils are proud of Hell."

The Hell referred to in this line from Wake in Fright (1971) is Bundanyabba, a fictional town in the Australian Outback where an ignorant and arrogant schoolteacher meets his ruin over the course of five days. The devils are the beer-swigging locals who are glad to be your "mate" so long as you have a drink -- or 10.

John Grant, played by British actor Gary Bond, is a young schoolteacher forced to pay off a government bond for his college education by teaching in a one-room school in the town of Tiboonda, shown in the opening shot as nothing more than two drab buildings surrounded by an endless expanse of flat, arid land. For being so vast, the landscape is suffocating.

The opening shot of Wake in Fright - the "town" of Tiboonda

The movie begins on the last day of class before the start of Christmas break. Grant rushes from the school to the only other building in town, a pub with a few rooms for lodging. He has just enough time for a beer and a few condescending remarks with the sweaty proprietor before catching his train. One of the most powerful images in the film occurs in the pub, as Grant catches a glimpse of the bartender's wife sitting lifelessly in the kitchen, resigned to a fate of dust, sweat, and loneliness, and the despair of knowing that life has nothing more to offer her.

Grant can't get out of Tiboonda soon enough. He plans to spend the holidays in Sydney with his girlfriend, Robin. His itinerary consists of a night's stay in the small city of Bundanyabba, referred to affectionately by the locals as "the Yabba," where he will catch his flight the following morning.

What follows is Grant's descent into Hell. After a drunken night of gambling that leaves him broke, he finds himself unable to escape the Yabba and resigns himself to the aggressive hospitality of several locals who prove to be little more than animals fueled by cheap beer. Grant is bombarded with endless offers of beer, and to turn down booze in the Outback is a sin on par with murder. Among the group he falls in with is Doc Tydon, a sinister, self-proclaimed alcoholic who passes himself off as a doctor and philosopher.

Wake in Fright paints a terrifying portrait of the Outback, where the stifling heat, barren landscape, shortage of women, and overwhelming isolation leaves its inhabitants searching for an escape, whether through beer or suicide. After a few blackouts, a sickening kangaroo hunt, and a horrific night in Doc Tydon's shack, John Grant discovers what little it takes to reduce a human being to a savage.

The title of the film comes from a Medieval adage. "May you dream of the devil and wake in fright."

*Available on Netflix Instant Streaming