Her Vs. Robot and Frank

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HER VS. ROBOT AND FRANK:  After watching Her I really wanted to compare it against Robot and Frank, a movie currently on Netflix.  Both dealt with similar ideas regarding humans and their interactions with artificial intelligence.  One deals with it in the form of an operating system and one with a robot.  Which one is more effective in delivering the point of this not-so-distant future of human/ AI relationships?

HER:  2013: SCI FI DRAMA: ++:  Her received many accolades and it certainly deserves it.  It's an excellent film and deserves to be on most must-see movie lists.  Spike Jonze carefully warns us against something that he feels is troublesome, but in a subtle and clever way; a love story.  The reason it's so effective is that it doesn't shy away from imposing the truth that humans are becoming increasingly dependent, if not utterly connected to, their electronic devices. Be it a tablet, laptop, or cell phone, it is almost impossible to go the day without seeing 90% of the population fixated on one.

The internet and the modernization of electronic devices have enabled us to be sufficiently enthralled in a virtual world.  People are becoming fixated on their avatars in World of Warcraft (I played Everquest way too much), or making Sims (I myself spent many hours until the game "stopped" because the world was too complicated), or re-inventing themselves on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.  Why?  Were people in the 70s and 80s living in the dark ages?  Were they completely devoid of entertainment?  How could they have lived?  These questions are now prevalent to younger generations, but they wouldn't have been to those in earlier decades.  They were placated with their CB radios, CRT monitors, and land-lines.   Why wouldn't they have been?  There was nothing else...yet

From telegraph, to radio, to television, to computers, to internet, to artificial intelligence, this progression has been steadily surging forward through the decades.  It actually seems like every decade there is a huge leap.


It begins..

It's not necessarily a bad thing to have a game or a distraction to occupy yourself during a commute, but when everyone is literally fixated on a hand held device it's a little unnerving.  Next time try to go out and notice this.  Really try.  OR try to put YOURs down. How long can you do this?  Can you?  You could, but you would laugh and say, "That was silly, let's not do that again..<clicks FACEBOOK>"


Why can't she be more like Samantha?

Either way, this movie drills this theme home.  Although he initially questions his new role with Samantha, Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with the operating system almost immediately.  In Robot and Frank it's a little different, but it has the same outcome.  Feelings for an inanimate object or program are manifested.  Why?  Is it because they don't object?  Not really, because as I will indicate, the Robot in Robot and Frank actually objects and argues with Frank.  Maybe it's because we can mold them.  We have to "teach" them how to think and that makes us feel good.  It makes us feel like gods in a way. This is very addictive..


Samantha goes where I WANT dammit!

What if our favorite electronic device or the internet said "NO", I don't want to do that.  OR, "I don't feel like going to the beach because the sand get's everywhere!"  We would have to adapt and make a compromise.  Even in Robot and Frank, the robot can be coerced into doing what Frank ultimately wants, even though it's against the law.  That would defeat the purpose.  We all hate when our devices run out of power.  IF they could be on all the time, I'm sure we would start to all lose a lot of sleep.  As it is, there is a phenomenon of people sleeping while texting.  This is scary.  It's not good.


Partners in Crime

Both movies make this point in a way.  Her leaves you understanding that he should have dealt with a human.  This is especially true during the scene with the surrogate.  He doesn't like  that because the elements that he wanted to avoid, such as human interaction and possible rejection (i.e blind date with Olivia Wilde), were re inserted.  Even though the surrogate could act interested, humans can pick up on body language very easily.  With computers and AI, there is no grey area. OR it was that he didn't want to taint the image of Samantha, but I think it's the first issue.  In Robot and Frank this theme is developed, but it takes a different route.  Let's take a look...

ROBOT AND FRANK: 2012: SCI FI DRAMA: ++:  The robot in this movie comes programmed with a holographic memory which cannot be partially deleted so it's all or nothing.  This is of critical importance because it has huge ramifications in the end.  


Robot can do chores!!

The Robot, who remains unnamed (an interesting distinction between the two movies), is purchased by a son who wants to assist his father who is becoming confused and possibly suffering from dementia due to lack of structure in his life.  The father, played very well by Frank Langella, initially refuses the Robot's assistance and shuns it.  It's not until Robot accidentally aids him in one of his favorite past times, theft, that Frank becomes interested.  Suddenly, Robot is useful.  Suddenly Frank found his "god" moment with the AI.


Let's see how you pick this lock...

Robot is not programmed against theft, but knows it's inherently illegal and therefore not a good "activity" for Frank.  He took the object Frank initially tried to take, because he thought Frank had forgotten it in the store. 

Robot even agrees to learning new skills like lock picking and walking quietly.  In addition, he adds a fictitious destruction sequence if anyone "molests" him or bothers him.  These parts of the movie are hilarious.  Don't tough Robot!!  Robot doesn't object to him "casing" a bigger plan to steal millions of dollars worth of jewelry because it is "engaging" Frank and he seems interested in something, as opposed to being depressed. 

Where Frank was once completely detached and forgetful, now he is "displaying great care" in his plan and showing vigor.  He has to if Robot is going to allow him to carry it through and help him.  The Robot is going to make sure that he has an airtight plan because he is a very "Strict Judge!"


Who's the boss here??

Ultimately, Frank spends many hours hatching a perfect plan which Robot is impressed by, but it's not until Frank says he will eat more fiber that Robot agrees.  This was both funny and pragmatic. Frank has the god moment where he controls the robot.  He likes that.  

Overall, Her delivered a more artistically sound movie but I thought watching Robot and Frank was more enjoyable.  While I felt sad for Theodore, I laughed with Frank and his robot.  There were some really funny scenes in this movie.  The getaway in the car when the robot jumps in was excellent, and when the robot wears his cat burglar outfit was hilarious.  The cinematography in Her should be studied carefully, because it was groundbreaking.  I felt that should be handled in another rating.  This one was more about the thematic elements and how they were delivered and my personal opinion.  It was very close and I welcome comments; this isn't really a competition as it is a juxtaposition..  Her 90 % Robot and Frank 92%


Not just a blender..

Unfortunately, the ending is the same in both movies.  Both main characters are left empty as a result of their interactions but during the process of their interaction, they were fulfilled.  Ultimately is this different from ending a real relationship?  Why?  I think it has to do with the syntax, which I will quote from the movie PI.  


Feelings are to humans as syntax is to artificial intelligence?

Two Powerful Minds Face Off

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Pi & A Beautiful Mind  were both great movies about geniuses who were at first misunderstood but then appreciated for their worth to the intellectual community.  Which movie captures the essence of being a brilliant, but obsessive personality?  Find out here...


Pi:  1998:  +-: Pscyh Thr:  Having watched Pi  number of times, simply because I love the mathematical numbers theory elements and the heavy use of electronic synths in the music score, (a cornucopia of extremely well known ambient and EDM artists), I still have an itch to watch it now and again.  Every time I watch it I get something else new out of it BUT every time I watch it, I also get a little disturbed.  That's the point.  This movie really gets you into the psyche of a troubled genius obsessed to the point of losing control over this emotion and rational state of mind.   

 

I actually try to retrace the steps of Max Cohen (played by Sean Gullette), who is a brilliant but extremely troubled number theorists who is trying to use Fibonacci sequences and PI to predict the stock market, in NY.  Many of the scenes are filmed in very famous areas like China town and Mid Town and some common subway hubs.  Sean also wrote the story behind this movie. 

Two different groups of people, as diametrically apart as possible, are drawn to Max because they both follow his work and believe it can further their own selfish pursuits.  One is a group of Kabbalahs and one is a Wall Street Firm executive.  Both need the data that Max is working on but for different reasons.  Max accidentally throws it away in garbage bucket and thus the race and search for it drives the movie's drama.  I won't give away why because it's very interesting and a nice twist in the movie. 

 

Since the whole movie is in black and white, it gives it a very gritty atmosphere which fits the mood rather nicely.  The eerie, static, electronic music also does this with repetitive sections.  After awhile, you forget it's black and white though, the mark of many good movies of this type.  Stand out parts are when he is getting chased by the Wall Street woman, when he finds Sol's Go board in the Pi formation, and of course, when he figures out what went wrong with the motherboard and fixes it. 



I also liked the part where he is in the subway and he is getting his picture taken by what appears to be a student photographer but he loses it and chases him.  A memorable part but one I would like to forget is when he drills his..well I won't give this away. 

 

This movie isn't for everyone, but it has music by Aphex Twin, Orbital and other prominent EDB and Ambient artists.  Sometimes the music itself is what drives the suspense as witnessed when he is having his many migraines and the music throbs like a bad head-ache.  This part will make you cringe.  It will definitely challenge anyone who is interested numbers theory, the Torah, and of course, computers and their ability to crunch numbers relating to Pi.  Darron Aronofsky did an amazing job on this one and didn't hold any punches

This won the 1998 Sundance Film Festival directors award and also the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.  Sometimes I wished the parts with the girl who was good in math stood out more as a contrast and made it a little more light hearted, but this is just about telling the story of a troubled genius:::86%

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A Beautiful Mind: 2001: ++: BIO DRM:  In many ways, these two movies are very different.  The first obvious difference is aesthetically, one is black and white, while the other is in color.  The second is that this is an loosely based autobiography, while in the movie Pi, it's based on a conglomeration of mathematicians.   Then the other difference is in the lead roles; one is very dull looking and the other is more of your usual leading-man.

 

Other than that, they are driving at the some point.  Two geniuses who have so much going on in their cerebellums, that they appear, touched, or troubled, or even a bit off the normal path of what society accepts as "sane".  Then again, the trite expression comes to mind, what is sane in an insane world?

Back to the movie.  Russell Crowe plays his usual soft spoken self, until he gets provoked like in the scene where he beats one of the arrogant fellow colleagues in a game of Othello.  Ron Howard does a great job, as usual, depicting the life of John Nash, Nobel laureate in finance. 

There were some instances where he "left" out certain elements that made this movie a little less accurate like when it leaves out his second marriage and illegitimate son.  These are minor gripes though.  Ed Harris and Jennifer Connolly are also in this movie, but Russell is really the one that captures the show. 



The dynamic between the two main characters is forced sometimes, but as the movie progresses and he locks himself in the room full of his notes, it starts to make sense.  Russell Crowe was actually a great choice for this movie, because his stoic facial expressions contrast when he needs to express emotion.  This is especially seen in the moment at the bar when he approaches the young lady who will be his love interest in the movie. 


As the movie progresses it definitely builds up speed, but it never really delivers the visceral experience that Pi deliver.  Actually, it's not even a movie that I opted to see more than once.  Once I saw it, it was over.  The music by James Horner had some memorable parts to it, but overall, it just was "there".  I did like the scene however when the notes get scattered in the room and he has the epiphany. 


I thought that Adam Goldberg was terrible in this movie and I really don't like him very much in any.  I just find him very annoying.  Maybe it's the fact that he dated Christina Ricci, but he just rubs me the wrong way.  Maybe it was his character in Dazed and Confused & The Prophecy that really made me dislike him. 



(Adam Goldberg, being his usual annoying self)

This movie won 4 Academy Awards but again, was a good drama, but not at par with Pi.  In terms of being a more approachable movie, yes, it's better, but in terms of describing and depicting a troubled genius, it's not even close.  I did like the part with Parcher, but that wasn't stressed enough.  It was almost comic relief. This just glamorizes some aspects of mental disorder like schizophrenia in my opinion while Pi  really nails it.:::81%