Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2010s, Drama, Joaquin Phoenix, Sci-fi, Worth watching
In the not distant future, Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with an artificial intelligence program voiced by Scarlett Johansson. As Thomas pointed out in his review, one thing that really sticks out in this movie is how much face time the viewer gets with Joaquin Phoenix, and how great a job he does of portraying a melancholy and contemplative yet compelling person on screen for nearly two full hours. Don’t watch it for a portrayal of what a world of well-functioning artificial intelligence will look like, but do watch it for its honest depiction of the human condition. So I agree with James, even though I don’t necessarily disagree with Thomas. Worth Watching.
Added: I forgot to mention in my original post that the protagonist in this movie has a truly fantastic name: Theodore Twombly. That is all.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2010s, Amy Adams, Chris Pratt, Drama, Joaquin Phoenix, scarlett johansson, Sci-fi, Spike Jones, Worth watching
Her is a movie about a man who falls in love with his computer OS. It takes place in a futuristic utopian pristine city where there are no poor people or dirt, I like Thomas’s Blade Runner in the day time comment. Thats kind of an interesting thing about this movie, most sci fi takes place in a dystopian society, an upsetting or frightening version of the future. But this is a very stylized vision of our future, kind of like a white people’s problems sci fi. But, it was really entertaining, very well acted, and very artful. Worth Watching.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2010s, Joaquin Phoenix, Oscar Fever 2014!, Required viewing, romance, scarlett johansson, Sci-fi
It’s the near future. Joaquin Phoenix is a lonely city dweller who stumbles on companionship in the form of Scarlett Johansson’s disembodied computer voice. This unusual trope means that we spend almost the entire film looking at Phoenix’s face, which should be ridiculous but isn’t. The movie is innovative, poignant, and beautiful. It’s Blade Runner during daytime hours — a sci-fi romance instead of a film noir. I hope it wins Best Picture even though the Oscars are dumb! Required Viewing
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 1990s, Alison Folland, casey affleck, dan hedaya, gus van zant, Illeana Douglas, Joaquin Phoenix, Matt Dillon, nicole kidman, Thriller, Worth checking out
Nichole Kidman is an ambitious if slightly naive young journalist who dreams of being a famous newscaster. But when no one takes her seriously and her career seems like it’s going nowhere, she reveals the extent to which she’s capable of imposing her will on the world. If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen the poster for this movie before and just assumed it’s something in the vein of Basic Instinct, in which case you’ll be surprised to find out that it’s actually a dark satire filmed and edited partially as a documentary. There’s nothing obviously bad about this film, but none of the characters are particularly complex and the condescending way in which Gus Van Zant treats his characters is sometimes a little grating.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 1990s, billy bob thornton, claire danes, Drama, ennio morricone, jennifer lopez, Joaquin Phoenix, jon voight, Nick Nolte, oliver stone, powers boothe, Sean Penn, Watchable
Sean Penn is on his way to California to deliver a belated loan payment. But on the way his car breaks down in a small town in Arizona, inhabited by famous actors, each in various degrees of trouble, each preventing Sean Penn’s from getting on his way. Even though some of the characters are incredibly annoying, and the unjustness of Sean Penn’s situation drove me crazy, I didn’t hate the film for some reason, I guess I kinda liked it, actually.Watchable.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Joaquin Phoenix, Paul Thomas Anderson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Worth checking out
Joaquin Phoenix is (perfectly cast as) a disturbed WWII vet who gets swept into a cult; Philip Seymour Hoffman is their charismatic leader. This is an odd, unsettling movie that flows at an unpredictable pace, kind of Kubrik-esque in that way. The two lead actors are captivating — but if it wasn’t for them, this would be fairly unpleasant to watch. Worth checking out.
