Last week I watched one more movie
in the race against time to see all Oscar nominees before March 2nd.
And it was disturbing. Her is not
going to win in any major categories against super blockbusters like 7 Years A Slave or American Hustle – personal opinion – but is a film that
makes you think. It is strange and depressing (no spoilers, I promise).
Long story short, it is a sepia tone drama
about a guy that falls in love with his OS. Yes, he pretty much has sex with
Siri. But the most interesting element is that Spike Jonze shows the dynamic
man-machine like an actual love story. You suffer with Joaquin Phoenix
character and sometimes even forget that he is actually having a relationship
argument with his smartphone.
The idea is not new though. The Big
Bang Theory showed a similar plot in season 5 (episode 4) when Raj falls in
love with Siri, which in that case was an actual real person - and oh god, how funny was that?
Amazing performances aside, the
film raises the question of how far we are going with our dependence to
technological devices. We spend pretty much the entire awake part of our day
connected to something: smartphone, computer, tablet, e-book, wristband. Is the
idea of a relationship with an OS really that far? It sounds insane and stupid,
but a couple of years ago we could not even imagine having access to thousands
of books in a small piece of plastic and now I cannot stand a life without my
Kindle.
Not just crazy, but is also very
sad. I felt sorry for him most of the film because he was just a very very very
deeply lonely guy after all, but are not all of us getting more isolated and
reclusive thanks to our mobiles? How many times have you already been talking
to someone and suddenly realized you paid no attention at all to the
conversation because you decided to quick check your e-mail? Or did you take
your phone during dinner and let your food get cold looking at one of the
hundreds different social platforms you have to daily cope with?
We are connected as a society in
ways we never thought it would be possible, but at the same time we are detaching
ourselves from vital ingredients of a true relationship, which are attentiveness
and consideration for each other. Phoenix personage was as piteous as we are
sometimes when we freak out because we forgot our phones at home.
The problem is that is not so easy
to just turn it all off and live a happy and plugged-out life. To keep our
jobs, to thrive, to succeed, we have to be 24/7 hours damn connected to
everything we can get our hands on. Facebook? Not enough, it is last season.
Google+ is the next thing. How can you not have a LinkedIn profile? You will
never find a job this way! And Instagram? And Pinterest? You are the most
disinteresting person in the world if you don’t have a Twitter and a blog.
That is the world we live in now
and unfortunately we have to adapt. I am not saying it is horrible. I love the
convenience of having any book in the reach of a finger. Or any movie. Or any
song. Knowledge, if well selected, became much more accessible and cheaper. You
are ignorant just if you want.
Everything is there, and it is nearby. I love the
fact I can talk to my family and friends that are far anytime without paying
anything extra for it. I love having a watch that track calories, tells how
much I am eating or running. Technology is great, and I adore it. I really do. I
just expect to not lose so much of myself on it and to not depend on my phone
to do everything from decide what to eat to talk to each other.
And yes, of course I will want a Google Glass as well when
it becomes available - when I say available I mean cheap and accessible. How
will I be able to live without one???? (sarcastic laugh, wink wink)
Hmmm... I was writing a comment here for 10 mins and then it did not publish...Thanks God so half of the bullshit is not going to be here.
ReplyDeleteWell, have not seen the movie yet, but really liked the trailer..
Interesting things is do you remember how were the futuristic movies before? all this technology and flying cars and stuff. Even though we still stuck in ordinary traffic, not air one (not the case for Heathrow), but look at these movies now... They mostly are about world wars, terrorists, London Eye is getting off the and spinning around the city and killing thousands of peole. Some more themes: social disgrace, unrest and more more natural disasters mainly because of people, not because of sun or some natural stuff.
It may not have anything to do with technology, but in fact I think it is....I adore technology too, and you know it. (by technology I mean Apple products and what can be done with them, as it is useful technology, not the pain in the ass) Well, respect to washing machine and dishwasher, life without them is really annoying. Well, I already can't remember how was it without washing machine.
But the world definitely got more chaotic, and even the EYES, eyes, and other organs of Big Brothers like NSA do not change anything much
Nevertheless, there is going to be a happy end for all of us, and something else for all of "them" :)
And you become a heavy addicted blogger, like the runner you recently became.
The post is amazing though, you can be sure! first because it is YOURS, and I am sitting and writing a comment (read wtf) - second time (read WTF) to a blog....(read WTF WTF WTF!!!!!!!!)
Shit, it is actually kind of a full blogpost by me.... Gabi, you made me run, broke my leg and don't make me blog pleeeeease :)
ReplyDelete