Directed, scripted and starring by Miranda July, The Future is a film that has been selected for the Berlin Film Festival in 2011 and the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
The story revolves around a couple that proposes a change in your life. They hate their jobs and the idea of adopting a cat makes it arise a new way of life. However what is proposed as a change eventually becomes routine. The fear of failure and responsibility makes the personality of both becomes complicated and often result surreal. The time is always the reason for the changes. The fear of an uncertain future and nonconformity with the present makes it parodies on numerous occasions the fact of stop the time. Specifically, the period in which Sophie and Jason are prepared to adopt a cat is the time when the personality of both becomes strange. There are surreal elements and nonsense conversations that show complex emotional states. The failure in work and routine makes Sophie feel prisoner to her feelings. The figure of Sophie has no splendor. It is a figure off and apparently weak. Her look is sad and never denotes happiness. In the same way the character of Jason is strange. He is the partner of Sophie and lives with her in a small flat and messy. His way of understanding things is similar to Sophie. Both fear the passage of time and want to be free. Marshall's character represents the freedom for Sophie. The way in which both are known is strange and simultaneously comic. Sophie looks out the window screaming and tries to listen to Marshall. The scene reflects a comparison: Sophie appears as imprisoned in her own home and as the only escape she has the window that looks out for help. The fact that the cat, paw paw, has a voice allowed to know their feelings and desires. The image is of an animal that is locked behind bars waiting for a change in his life, hoping in this case to be adopted. The comparison is similar to Sophie. Both are locked and desire freedom. The passing of time is also reflected in this character and appear feelings like frustration or even desperation to be adopted.
It's a surreal and complex film. The argument at first is easy but when the acts are performed we can see each character's feelings. We can see a lot of nonsense and abstract scenes. Adopting a pet is just an excuse for the change. I would like to highlight the rhetorical conversations about the passing of time, old age or the future. Personally I find this film hard to understand. There are many situations that make no sense as the act of talking to the moon, giving life to a shirt or the fact stop time. I think film is not made to be enjoyed, but it raises very philosophical thoughts on life. The emotional charge of the characters leads to surreal situations and even extravagant. These situations, in my opinion, have more weight than the argument itself.
