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If you've been to City Screen any time during the last few months, there's a strong chance you would have seen an unusual trailer for a quirky-looking film called The Future. Featuring two ditsy, messy-haired protagonists (Miranda July, Hamish Linklater) gliding around to the Beach House's sombre sounding 'Master of None', it was hard to gouge from the trailer both the tone of the film and the plot.
The film certainly lives up to the unusualness of its trailer, although there aren't many quirks beyond those which appear in it; a narrating cat, a talking moon and a vast array of odd dances all flash briefly in the trailer as part of the odd, magical realist world director Miranda July has created. There are many who will be put off by such whimsical elements, but she ought to be applauded at least for creating something so idiosyncratic.
The film follows a kooky couple who, four years into their relationship, appear to be suspended in time, leading them to the decision to adopt a stray cat named Paw Paw. The protagonists themselves toe the fine line between being endearing and being annoying, and their intentionally comic exchanges often fall flat.
The Future will also no doubt attract criticism from anyone adverse to its indie/hipster tone. And though such complaints are certainly not unfounded, and the characters can at times be insufferably twee, there is something more there for anyone willing to ignore such prejudices. July plays with the notion of time skilfully, inventively expressing the static sense of the present (so much so that for one character time literally grinds to a halt) compared with an accelerated perception of the future. In one thoughtfully realised scene, July's character is seen chatting to two of her friends, who despite the apparent continuity of the conversation are seen to have aged considerably more each time the camera cuts to a reverse shot.
But though part of the point of the film is how the couple's lives are going nowhere, the subsequent slow pace and lack of drama does cause the film to drag somewhat, and unfortunately there is not enough intriguing dialogue, stylistic invention or visual playfulness to maintain audience interest. There is enough here to applaud, but as an overall work The Future falls short.
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