HER
Indeed, a melancholic masterpiece directed by Spike Jonze starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, tells the story of a lonely writer named Theodore Twombly who falls in love with an Artificial Intelligence voice over named Samantha. Theodore, an introverted man who is recovering from a failed marriage and is seemingly tired of his monotonous life, falls in love with an AI whom he purchased in order to help him write. “Her” deals with the nuances of isolation which creeps up on parting and in an effort to forget memories. The movie is not about warning the dangers of AI however it is about connecting and reaching out to people. When Theodore reaches out to people, he realizes that he was missing the basic warmth of human interaction. What makes “Her” compelling is the way it touches the threads of disconnection and connection at the same time. When Theodore is connected to Samantha he learns, but when he is disconnected from her, he discovers the joys of his limited existence. “Her” is only one word in a longer statement, but that doesn’t mean it has no meaning on its own.
LA LA LAND
How magical are entities that, in reality, can never be together? Perhaps a truly forgotten love fling from the old days that just remains in the pages of memories? La La Land just uncovers that past recollection which we left behind to fulfill our reality of dreams. Damien Chazelle’s musical romance, La La Land, narrates the tale of two people: Sebastian, a jazz enthusiast played by Ryan Gosling, and Mia, a struggling actress played by Emma Stone. Those two strive to achieve success but till the end their love remains unfulfilled. They cross paths, fall in love, chase their aspirations, and eventually leave each other, but even if it was never meant to happen, perhaps something even more wonderful was written in their path of life. The film is directed from an intangible form of stunning realism separating it out of the tangible realism of humanity’s tedious lives. The detailed iconic visual style of scenic views captivates the viewers’ hearts. The bittersweet ending doesn’t leave the viewers in tears but rather in the satisfaction of moving on with a hopeful view of the future and a fulfilling present.
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
“My thoughts are stars I can’t fathom into constellations.” The tragic love tale resides in the hearts of those who watched it. Based on John Green’s romance novel The Fault in Our Stars, the film is about Hazel Grace Lancaster, played by Shailene Woodley, who has thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. She meets Ansel Elgort’s character, Augustus “Gus” Waters, who has lost a limb due to bone cancer but has been certified cancer-free. When Gus came into Hazel’s life she found a meaning in her dying away existence. Even when Gus was declared terminally ill, Hazel stayed with him. Hazel became a stronger person able to face her disease even after Gus departed the world. The brilliantly portrayed serene movie has no extra visual effects, just a plain story of loss and love. Breakups do not always end with hope, sometimes they end with a promise to the afterlife. The whole film is summed up in a beautiful quote by Hazel Grace towards the end, “You gave me forever within numbered days, and I am grateful.”
THE NOTEBOOK
The 2000’s iconic romance classic starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams is the one which tugs at the heartstrings following the story of Noah and Allie’s melodramatic romance which leaves us all in heartbreak. The movie begins in the future, where the aged Noah reads to Allie who is suffering from Dementia. He reads to her the story of their life. The movie is based on Nicholas Spark’s novel, The Notebook which was originally published in 1996. The coming of the age movie sells the sincerity and the chemistry of two individuals with no special visual effects or CGI. The only thing real and spontaneous in their movie is their immature romance and how after breaking up due to family circumstances, they reach out to each other in their adulthood. “The notebook” isn’t anything without its quintessential kiss scene in the rain which made the teens’ heart throb. The film concludes on a bittersweet yet sorrowful note about the sublime life they lived throughout the years.
THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE
This iconic French movie starring Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant is the representation of the LGBTQ relationships which don’t have an idyllic conclusion. The film is set in the end of the eighteenth century, where a Female painter named Marianne is secretly asked to paint a revered young lady by the name of Héloïse, who is to be betrothed. The movie thoroughly follows the impressions and devotions of budding love between the two people who belong to the same gender. The ‘fire’ in the movie is the desire for their everlasting love which cannot be fulfilled by any means. Their commitment towards each other is what makes their parting so unbearable to watch. But perhaps, sometimes it is not always ‘happy ever after,’ the impression of the loved one can leave a long impact even after they have parted. What matters are the moments they spent together, because that time will be remembered throughout their lifetime.
