Video: A Conversation with Siri About Why Spike Jonze's 'Her' Deserves to Win Best Picture
We've covered Spike Jonze's romantic drama Her quite a bit since its release. In fact, this unconventional film has been studied, explored, and examined quite a bit -- filmmakers, journalists, and critics alike delve into the narrative to find answers to the many questions the film poses -- like, who really represents humanity in the film, Samantha or Theo? Kevin B. Lee shares yet another excellent video with Keyframe, this time not only discussing why Her deserves the Oscar for Best Picture, but goes further in suggesting that the film is about "more than just a tragic love story between human and machine," but is also about "how much of being human is like being a machine."
Any film that gets an audience to think about their existence as a human being on Earth accomplishes a great feat. Many times, films zero in on more focused themes, like love, loneliness, and moving on -- though these themes show up in Her as well, there is an overarching idea that gently forces us to look at our humanity and ask ourselves honestly if Theo is really all that different from Samantha, his operating system -- if we are all that different from her.
The video plays out in a discussion between Lee and Siri, in which they discuss who should win the Oscar for Best Picture. That's a pretty standard way to start a conversation about a movie like this, but it soon turns into a journey into what Her does to earn such a dear place in the hearts of its fans, suggesting that it makes its audience question the nature of their existence and what it means to be human.
Not only that, but the video brings some excellent points about what makes the film worthy of the Best Picture Oscar, including its "built to please" aesthetic that not only mirrors the purpose behind Samantha's design, but also calls the emotions in the film into question. Take a look at the video below to explore Spike Jonze's film further. You can read the transcript of Lee's and Siri's conversation here.
What point brought up in Lee's video stuck out to you? What do you think Her has to say about love, relationships, and the nature of humanity? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Link: Ask Siri: Why HER Deserves Oscar’s Best Picture -- Keyframe
