The Illusion of Happiness: Dichotomy of Desires and Needs in “Her” Knight Dhuke College

One major flaw in the human condition is the inclination to habitually dwell on things that we desire rather than what we actually need to attain genuine happiness. Easy fixes towards desires are humanity’s forte until one realizes that what we actually need for a fulfilling life requires effort on our part. In Spike Jonze’s film Her, this notion is explored through the characters particularly Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix). The film follows Theodore as he develops an unconventional relationship with an artificially intelligent assistant named Samantha (Scarlet Johansson). Following a devastating heartbreak from a prior relationship with his ex-wife, Theodore seeks to fix his loneliness by pursuing his desires in terms of relationships.

Through Theodore, Jonze explores the aspects of human experiences that become distorted from the illusion of romance or relationships with technological surrogates. The protagonist is seen trying to achieve instant gratification through technological means such as phone sex, video games, and eventually an A.I partner. Theodore and also Amy are disillusioned with the traditional sense of relationships as they have given up on tackling the challenges of human romance. Henceforth seek to...