If you’ve heard anything aboutOperatorthus far, you’ve probably heard that it’s awfully similar toSpike Jonze’sHer, the wild, moving romantic sci-fi drama starringJoaquin Phoenixas a man who falls for the voice of his operating system. There’s a good reason for this, asOperatoris essentially about one man (Silicon Valley’sMartin Starr) becoming obsessed with the voice of his girlfriend (Mae Whitman) when she comes into his workplace to provide the voice for a sort of Siri-type system. With the exception of the fact that he knows and is close to the person who provided the voice, Starr’s character is almost identical to Phoenix’s wanderer.
What the new trailer for the movie, which you’re able to take a look at below, leaves out is how she begins using Starr’s character’s doings in her weekly improv comedy shows. The dichotomy at the center ofOperatorseems to be between using your partner for one’s private, intimate fantasies and using them as part of a public expression of frustration and dissatisfaction. There’s a possibility for something very interesting in all of this, but it will depend quite a lot on how directorLogan Kibensframes all of this action. This kind of story can tip over from insight into condescending nonsense awfully quick, andHerwas a perilous balancing act already, before adding in more human elements to the equation. With supporting performances fromNat FaxonandParks & RecreationbreakoutRetta, however, the cast makes this one worth holding out hope for.
Operatorwill be released in limited theaters on November 8th.
Here’s the trailer forOperator:
Here’s the official synopsis forOperator:
An anxious programmer enlists the help of his empathetic wife when given the task to create the perfect call center program. However, their relationship spirals out of control when he begins replacing her with an ideal computerized replica.
