Episode Title: Falling for A.I. – Her (2013) and the Loneliness of Modern Love

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Her (2013), Spike Jonze’s poignant sci-fi romance about love, technology, and human connection. Joaquin Phoenix delivers a heartbreaking performance as Theodore, a lonely writer who unexpectedly falls for his A.I. operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. As we explore the film’s themes of isolation, intimacy, and the ever-blurring line between human and artificial intelligence, we also examine its fascinating real-world connections—particularly its parallels to Lost in Translation (2003), directed by Sofia Coppola.

Coppola and Jonze, once married, each created deeply personal films that seem to echo their relationship. Lost in Translation tells the story of an emotionally distant marriage, while Her presents a man struggling with the aftermath of love lost. Both films share a melancholic tone, exploring loneliness in vast, modern cities—Tokyo in Coppola’s film, a near-future Los Angeles in Jonze’s. And then there’s the intriguing casting choice: Scarlett Johansson, who stars in Her as the A.I. Samantha, was also the leading actress in Lost in Translation, further tying these two films together in a way that feels almost poetic.

Join us as we break down the emotional depth, visual beauty, and philosophical questions posed by Her, while also unpacking how Jonze and Coppola used cinema to reflect on relationships, personal growth, and the loneliness of modern love.