November 7, 2011
Miranda July is a name likely to divide people; to her fans she is quirky, insightful, unimitable; to her critics, indulgent, pretentious and intensely irritating. The same can also be said of her second film, The Future, which tells the story of a thirty-something couple Sophie (July) and Jason (Hamish Linklaker) forced to reconsider their priorities in life when they decide to adopt a poorly cat. They discover they have exactly thirty days of freedom before their commitment to looking after Paw-Paw begins. Such limited freedom makes the couple reflect on their achievements and age; as Jason remarks, thirty-five is almost fifty, and being fifty is like having loose change; 'it's never enough to get what you really want'. Jason thus decides to save the world with campaign group Tree by Tree, and Sophie leaves the children's dance school where she teaches to do a project entitled '30 days, 30 dances'. However, both find themselves spending more time with oddball acquaintances than on their respective projects, or indeed, with each other.
The word 'story' lightly is used lightly here, for The Future is less a story than an exploration of various themes: relationships, loneliness, abandonment, indpendence and existential crisis. It's more fun than it sounds, not least because July is well practised in the art of awkward humour, but it certainly isn't the light-hearted 'let's-start-saying-yes-to-everything!' escapist fluff which the trailer promises. There is a seriously dark side to The Future, and it lacks the happy-ending and general feeling of optimism in the face of adversity of July's debut film Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005).
This is not to deny that at times the film (and Sophie/July) are downright annoying; admiration of their orignality can't eclipse the irritation one feels at the dramatic pauses and the peristent vacant expression in July's eyes. But there is also a realism in the complications life brings. Nothing is straightforward in July's world, as when Sophie is asked if she will lie or tell the truth to her boyfriend about what she's been doing. 'Jason and I are really close' she answers; '….I could never do either of those things.' It will be for audiences to decide whether they can hack all the kitch for a film which undoubtedly raises important and interesting issues. Love it or hate it, it's safe to say you won't be seeing anything like it for a while.
The word 'story' lightly is used lightly here, for The Future is less a story than an exploration of various themes: relationships, loneliness, abandonment, indpendence and existential crisis. It's more fun than it sounds, not least because July is well practised in the art of awkward humour, but it certainly isn't the light-hearted 'let's-start-saying-yes-to-everything!' escapist fluff which the trailer promises. There is a seriously dark side to The Future, and it lacks the happy-ending and general feeling of optimism in the face of adversity of July's debut film Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005).
This is not to deny that at times the film (and Sophie/July) are downright annoying; admiration of their orignality can't eclipse the irritation one feels at the dramatic pauses and the peristent vacant expression in July's eyes. But there is also a realism in the complications life brings. Nothing is straightforward in July's world, as when Sophie is asked if she will lie or tell the truth to her boyfriend about what she's been doing. 'Jason and I are really close' she answers; '….I could never do either of those things.' It will be for audiences to decide whether they can hack all the kitch for a film which undoubtedly raises important and interesting issues. Love it or hate it, it's safe to say you won't be seeing anything like it for a while.