Ever since my summer camp days I associate rain with movies. It was pouring this morning so what better way to celebrate this rainy day than to explore two movies that Paul and I have recently watched. Perfect Sense, directed by David MacKenzie and starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green; and Her, directed by Spike Jonze and starring Joaquin Phoenix and the voice of Scarlett Johansson.
Both movies are set in the near future, one that is both recognizable yet foreign at the same time. These are my favorite types of science fiction stories – at once familiar and believable but also novel and exciting. The kind of story that one of my favorite sci-fi authors Robert Heinlein might write – more about how human beings fit into the future than about the gadgets and complicated systems that surround them.
Each movie tells a doomed love story while relating something profound about isolation and the human condition.
In Perfect Sense, a chef and an epidemiologist fall in love as the world around them is falling apart. A strange illness is spreading that leaves people without their senses. First, it is their sense of smell that disappears and then their sense of taste.
As the movie progresses, the lovers must cope with each new loss both in their personal lives and in their professional lives. As a chef, Ewan McGregor’s character must innovate to offer diners new and exciting offerings that showcase the look and texture of the food instead of the taste and smell. This is just one example of how life goes on.
In Her, a lonely soon-to-be divorced writer falls in love with his computer’s artificially intelligent operating system. Some of my favorite parts of the movie are how spot on the filmmakers are in capturing a totally plausible future. From the hipster costumes to the electronics that blend into daily life and whose screens look more like picture frames, these details make sense since fashion is cyclical and often nostalgic. While their love is also doomed, how the supporting characters react to this nontraditional coupling further demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of human beings.
I recommend both movies for their creativity and enduring message that despite the challenges or circumstances, love can thrive.