The Future

Nestled but unsettled: Hamish Linklater and Miranda July in The Future

Miranda July's The Future, from 2011, is narrated by a maimed, feral cat. That should tell you all you need to know about the plot of this late Obama era comedy of awk, twee, twerks and quirks. Happily, Ms. July's cinematic chops have improved since her debut. The interiors of The Future are well observed and the magical realism of this yarn is wholly suited to Ms. July's offbeat gifts. The Future is tonally provocative with colors coded as emblems of contentment, fertility and desire.

Ms. July's character is in a symbiotically slack relationship with Hamish Linklater. July plays a frustrated dancer and gets to show off a few Chaplinesque dance moves. The couple hopes to break out of their torpor by adopting a cat from a shelter. Needless to say, things do not go as planned. The scale of the film is appropriate to its modest themes of compassion and mindfulness. Mr Linklater and Ms. July keep up a dignified demeanor amidst surreal and silly settings.