Episode 6 - Her

Surprisingly, Spike Jonze's "Her" is one of the most thought-provoking science fiction films in recent memory.  While it is a romance of sorts the film is also an exploration of mankind's increasing dependence on technology for human comfort.  Joaquin Phoenix's character Theodore plays highly immersive videogames by himself, he participates in sex chats and does not socialize much, save for with his platonic gal pal, Amy.  Theodore is looking for the type of partner that caters to his every whim and demands little in return.  Enter the new operating system, Samantha.  Theodore gradually begins to develop feelings for his new, Siri-esque computer (played by sultry-voiced Scarlett Johansson) and she seems to reciprocate.  Can artificial intelligence grow and expand the way a sentient human does?  If Philip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury went to a strip club, partied hard, met Kevin Smith and Woody Allen on the way out and got doughnuts and coffee, you might have the screenplay for "Her."  Remarkably, this is the first film both written and directed by Spike Jonze and it is this writer's estimation that he stands a strong chance of winning an Oscar for this highly original story. You can download the podcast here by right-clicking on the hypertext link and choosing "save as", or you can use the convenient player located below:If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here <img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/InTheQueue/~4/_xCdIzS23RU" alt="" width="1" height="1