Molli and Max in the Future

Greetings again from the darkness. I'll readily admit that I'm not an expert in outer space-based Science Fiction Romantic-Comedies. If you press me for a description of writer-director Michael Luk Litwak's film, it would be "WHEN HARRY MET SALLY ... in future space". Of course, this low budget flick is no match for Rob Reiner's classic 1989 Rom-Com, yet the mismatched couple and the recurring spontaneous meetups does strike some familiar chords.

Zosia Mamet stars as Molli and Aristotle Athari is Max. Zosia is a quirky actress known for "Girls" and the daughter of renowned writer David Mamet. Aristotle is best known for the season he spent on "Saturday Night Live". This isn't one of those shock-and-awe super special effects sci-fi spectacles. Instead, beginning in Chapter One, spaceships collide. One driven by Molli and one by uninsured Max. Rather than bicker over fault, the two display out-of-this-world chemistry ... unorthodox chemistry for sure ... but chemistry nonetheless.

Beginning with that initial bonding, viewers should brace themselves for non-stop banter whenever Molli and Max are together - something that happens frequently over the 12 years featured here. These reunions occur on various planets, across multiple dimensions, during a relationship with a robot, after joining a cult, and while living as a celebrity. One's enjoyment of the film will surely be determined by how the rapid-fire dialogue strikes - is it charming or grating? Those charmed will likely focus on the friendship/romantic two-step. Those annoyed will likely notice the political angle that filmmaker Litwak tries to sneak in.

With Special Effects intentionally a notch below BARBARELLA (1968) and FLASH GORDON (1980), the green screen images may be cartoonish, but they fit with the overall tone here. This feels like one of those films that will find a very receptive niche following, while others will be baffled by the appeal.

In theaters beginning February 9, 2024.

I caught this today at the London Film Festival and went in blind, not really knowing anything about it other than that it's been described as a sci-fi When Harry Met Sally. It's so much more than that though, but I don't want to risk spoiling the movie too much by explaining why, so all I will say is that this is a film which is incredibly inventive, and you can see it's a real labour of love as it's so playful and imaginative.

Best of all is the central romance however, and I say that as a die hard sci-fi / fantasy fan who loved the visual elements of the film. The central couple are given dialogue that made me laugh out loud an awful lot, and the performances are so strong that I fell in love with the characters very early on.

I'm a little wary of over praising this to the extent that people might have really high expectations of it, but despite that I can't help myself, and I had so much fun watching this movie that half way through I realised I was grinning inanely, and that didn't stop until the lights went up after the credits.

This is a low budget film so anyone going in expecting Marvel style cgi might be a little disappointed, but in many ways the lo-fi style and occasional stop motion sequences makes it all the more delightful, and as you can tell, I was well and truly charmed by this gem of a movie.

If you liked the 2006 cult classic Idiocracy then you'll get this as well.

A vehicle for the writer/director to unload on the foibles of humankind (apparently universal themes that apply to alien cultures as well).

There's a presidential election, a plague, a cult, an evil cheese corporation, and two people trying to understand what love is. All this is topical at the moment, but timeless.

Low cost production which adds to the comic effect. A really impressive effort for the writer/director, perhaps his magnum opus - hopefully there's more to come.

The actors played their parts brilliantly, innocently bumbling around until coming to some personal realisations.

This movie was a masterclass on acting and humor by Zosia Mamet. She was brilliant while this apparently low budget film was pretty dull in many other ways. The other actors were not very convincing in their roles. It is worth watching despite any failings. I also liked the demon Trump parody that was slipped in as a side story. If you like Doctor Who or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy you will probably enjoy the sillier aspects of the writing. It does a fairly good job as viewed as a rom com with an emphasis on the comedy. I wish the male lead had been a little stronger as an actor and comic.

I can't give it the whole 10 stars, because, if there's something that I can't stand almost as much as my tinnitus it is, jazz lounge music...I could put it in the same list as babies crying in airplanes, cats in heat and overly happy parrots, and there's a lot of that music in this movie. Actually I think the whole soundtrack is jazzy music. Other than that it was awesome.

Put in a blender, Futurama, When Harry met Sally, and one of the best written sketches from Saturday Night Live and you'll have this movie.

There are so many kinds of humor, but in here you're going to find the intelligent kind, no rudeness, insult, stupid slapstick or dark. It's just clever and silly, just the way we feel when we are in love.