LFF 2011 Diary, Day 9 - THE FUTURE

LFF 2011 Diary, Day 9: The Future (Rating: *) Comedic and artistic performer Miranda July may have her own unique style when it comes to making films, though however unique or off-center her comedy may be, the overall result of her work in a film such as The Future cannot be otherwise expressed than utterly baffling.

Set around a couple in their mid-30s and whose relationship is in turmoil, their plan to adopt a stray cat changes their entire perspective on life and alters their relationship forever. A tale of anxiety and the pressures of maturation, The Future is, amongst all the bizarreness and eccentricities, a film about growing up.

Despite the strange attempted surrogacy of a stray cat in a vain attempt to experience parenthood, both July’s character Sophie and Hamish Linklater’s Jason are, despite their age, immensely immature. Neither of them seem to do much in the way of employment, Jason sits at home providing IT solutions and Sophie limply teaches dance classes to young children, and are in no way in connection with the real world. Conversations between the two consist of mumbling and incoherent fodder about how life is practically over for them at the ripe old age of 35. In retaliation to their perceived life slump Sophie and Jason quit their jobs in favour of pursuing what they really want to do with their lives.

The problem with the film lies in the complete unlikeability of Sophie and Jason. So immature and detached from any form of maturity, neither of them present any form of relatable problems or dilemmas. Everyone at some point suffers from anxiety about what the future holds, most deal with it, others simply mumble.

Sophie and Jason are mumblers.

Amongst the barren humour is a quite frankly absurd narration by the couple’s adopted cat. If quirkiness is the new definition of comedy, then it is a definition I am unfamiliar with because The Future is remarkably humourless. And after an hour or so of the aforementioned nonsensical mumbling, the plot takes a turn into the dream like bizarre of a film such as Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, but is hardly a match for Michel Gondry’s classic. Do not be surprised if this is the biggest turkey at the London Film Festival this year. If this is what the future holds for comedy, it’s not one that’s particularly bright. JJ