About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2011)
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BEGINNING THE FUTURE (R) There's a talking cat. If read ing that makes your ears twitch, you might want to pass on seeing Miranda July's The Future, her idiosyncratic follow-up to her highly acclaimed 2005 debut, Me and You and Everyone We Know. Like that movie. The Future overflows with childlike whimsy, offbeat yet insightful observations and eccentric charac ters that oscillate between the irritatingly coy and the crushingly familiar. July's work—she was a performance artist—is not for everyone, although to dismiss her movies as nothing more than superficial experiments in quirky style would be sadly reckless. The Future focuses on a 30-something couple, Sophie (July) and Jason (Hamish Linklater), who agree to care for a sick cat, Paw Paw (voiced by July), marked to be euth anized. Eager to adopt the ailing kitty, they « are nevertheless daunted by their newfound responsibility. Life as they know it is chang ing. In the meantime, they insist on breaking their old routines and embrace freedom before their new commitment consumes them; they cancel their Internet, Jason quits his job and becomes a door-to-door solicitor for an environmental group, and Sophie focuses on performing experimental dance routines for YouTube consumption. Both are desperate for an authentic human experience. Their prob lems, however, run deeper than any quick fix. In their quest to grow up, they come undone. Sophie has an affair with a suburban business man, and Jason literally stops time for as long as possible to stave off the pain of dealing with reality. For all of July's penchant for exposing absurdity in the mundane and how wonder can ] be found in the most unexpected of places. The Future is sneakily dark and fearless in how it confronts the inability of these amia- j ble hipsters to mature. It's an unflinching cri tique that July dishes out, one that is per ceptive and ultimately heartbreaking. Beyond the deadpan humor and the daring, haunt- ingly beautiful moments of fantasy, The Future raises some clear-eyed questions about death and meaning in life that are rarely asked so boldly in contemporary American movies. July's willingness to lead us into emotionally challenging territory is a major reason why she has become one of the most remarkable, humanistic American filmmaxers working today. Nov/ about that cat... Derek Hill Miranda July and Hamish Linklater AOTUAN PRESENTED BY ATHENS FARMERS MARKET HARVEST a, THE CLASSIC CITY CHEFS' ASSOCIATION BENEFITING WHOLESOME WAVE GEORGIA ^CLASSIC CITY CHEFS ASSOC lilt Mil I (flllKSOI Kou . \||||| s Si i r \\ I <)\ I I 1 11\ f ill. 1:( ( I .1 . Conn* share a family style Sunday dinner and silent auction with your farmers, artisans, and friends to celebrate the Autumn harvest. I he Classic City Chets will prepare locally produced ingredients sourced from the Athens Farmers Market lor a truly amazing meal. All proceeds from the event will benefit two deserving local initiatives: W holesome Wave Georgia and the Classic City Chefs Association. sr»0 PKR PKRSON Tickets available at the Athens Fanners Market or \v\v\v.bm\vnpn|K*rtickets.coin event 2(kd 11 ATHENS ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S DINNER+MOVIE SUN • MON • TUE inaT In n a I $6 ADMISSION ALL DAY! WWW.ATHENSCINE.COM 706.353.3343 234 W. HANCOCK AYE DOWNTOWN ATHENS £h.e iking * FLICfcSlCINNY 1 ft 3 f0vJ P ^ SoWisH SMyivuj "ICi a*d Sh)ff% d\SC0vjev r a CfasWl -Plywvj Saucer km! g* Beavp in The +UK\<Am # ifAMeAiak-L) "TVe sexiest fWeoAWiog{st on ptawet ^ ~ o\j\, Sooa LL ^ OY& C\qKf (Xv\T\ ea u \V\j i t*> Sort oo F OJIaos a fei22a\To-uJoTlc( XetfoHofpb uJIaos (A aVs reaI^ Kqyc5( up" \s too good. pafofltfiD 5Vov\dojd, pi^vig €acU oft {oTheSiaotO • 'fte is £V6UJiS\+£J \o$Ca\ M&ws of o^.. U)V\oeoe<r \\ Aeeds to be {Vo ^ fAo^oeog- IN 5 fl P t (tatfuiyiUoji 'JjW/ aoAfe&i a*d toI\ 'jeof e^es) S/wp) \f\ lAeasoje. plos>w fb^geot. poas art So p taWed XY < — qiOe^'5 AI'^ia iwo Slides. -fopo, We fcfp hes Co^ai ) • r * s' -"5^* OCTOBER 19, 2011 • FLAGPOLE.COM 11
