Is it possible for a love story between a man and his computer to break your heart? If Spike Jonze has anything to do with it, yes. The first trailer for Jonze's first film in 4 years has debuted online, and you can either watch it above or in HD at Apple. It starts with tinkling piano music from Aphex Twin and only gets more plaintive from there.
Jonze has obviously hit the art house casting grand slam, not just with recent The Master standout Joaquin Phoenix in the crucial lead role, but with Amy Adams and Rooney Mara in supporting parts, and even Scarlett Johansson (recently on board in place of Samantha Morton) as the voice of the computer who woos Phoenix's lonely character, with the inimitable name "Theodore Twombly." The trailer only builds up to the inevitable point where you know things will get less isolatingly beautiful and more creepy, with Samantha leading Theodore right up to the verge of initiating cybersex… with a machine. That can't end well. But it will probably be a gorgeous journey get there.
Her, with a supporting cast that also includes Chris Pratt and Olivia Wilde, comes to theaters on November 20. Here's the official synopsis below, along with the newly revealed poster, also via Apple.
Set in Los Angeles, slightly in the future, "her" follows Theodore Twombly, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet "Samantha," a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other. From the unique perspective of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze comes an original love story that explores the evolving nature—and the risks—of intimacy in the modern world.
