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There is something that can be said about a film when you see your love life played out word for word in it. It gives you a sense of compassion on the characters, as if you know exactly what they're going through. You feel each burn, every pain, all the misery that they have to endure. But what I don't know is how the opposite partner truly felt about our relationship. Why did we break up? Was it something I said? Was it just not meant to be? Are you seeing someone else? It's a tantalizing mystery that isn't fully uncovered without some awkward probing. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him examines a life-shattering breakup from the man's perspective, and how his emotions break down over the course of the film.
Naturally, we are only given the feeling and story from the man's side in this part, so we aren't completely clued in on why she decided to end the relationship in the first place. She says that she keeps dreaming that he's cheating on her, and he vehemently denies promiscuity, and yet she feels some kind of emptiness that wasn't there before. He doesn't fulfill her needs anymore, at least to her. She wants to "take a break," as all couple breakups go. As we all know, a break usually turns into a permanent situation, and it completely devastates Conor (James McAvoy). He doesn't get any indication of what he did wrong. No chance to make it right. She just decided to cut it off then and there. So what does he do? Obsesses over Eleanor's personal life, of course. The recipient of the breakup usually still remains concerned for the giver's well-being, no matter how bitter he may feel, but Conor takes his concern to a stalker's level.
The film brilliantly portrays how this breakup permanently affects Conor's own life- his behavior, his job, his psychological health- they're all put under fire after the incident. His best friend Stuart (Bill Hader, in a surprisingly convincing dramatic performance) shows his own concern and support for him, as well as the other employees of his bar. Conor sees other couples, some mimicking things that he did with Eleanor, and shows his signs of weakness. Nonetheless, he displays his best intentions to buckle down and forge ahead in life. But he still harbors his feeling for Eleanor, and the uncertainty of why they really broke up. We don't know what happened either, since we are only seeing things from Conor's perspective.
That's where Her comes in.