The Plot and Characters

You have to admit that the premise is fun. You can almost imagine Litwak in a writer’s room saying, “What if we did When Harry Met Sally, but in space?”. The story is set in a universe with multiple alien species and gods living together across planets and dimensions. Molli (Zosia Mamet) is an old-fashioned romantic, except she’s interested in space magic (literal space magic, not your regular horoscopes and crystals). Max (Aristotle Athari) dreams of being a “mega mech fighter” who builds and battles in giant robots, basically the future version of a sporty tech bro.

They meet when Molli crashes into Max while out driving her spaceship, and gets roped into giving him a ride. The two quickly become friends with a bond that yo-yos back and forth over the years. The leads had good chemistry, and there were convincing performances from Zosia Mamet and supporting actor Arturo Castro, who played Walter.

Political Satire

One aspect of the storyline that brought it to modern times was the impending sense of doom, especially in the second act. In 2023, we are all too familiar with the anxiety of living in a world ravaged by the climate crisis, insane politics and war, something which Molli and Max in the Future depicted in thinly veiled satire. I deeply appreciate the angle of people trying to approach love and relationships in a world that is falling apart. Most traditional rom-coms approach life with a sense of optimism that is simply impossibly unrealistic in this day and age. Strangely, the whole world-ending aspect being portrayed in this way is actually refreshing. However, it was introduced joltingly in the second act of the film. The execution of the secondary plot is not as seamless as it could have been.

The Visuals

The film’s visual aesthetic involved a lot of dark night skies lit up with neon lights and distant galaxies. Despite the sci-fi visuals, don’t walk into this film expecting shiny Marvel-esque CGI. Though there are some modern-day special effects, the film mostly relies on practical effects and heavy use of green screens. While this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, the result is the cosy vibe of 20th-century lo-fi science fiction. I especially appreciated the wardrobe which embodied that era of science fiction. It was essentially what someone in 1960 would think people in the future would dress like.

The Comedy

Perhaps the biggest success of this film was that it was actually funny. Most romantic comedies are very heavy on the romance and too light on the comedy. Molli and Max in the Future had plenty of dry jokes that qualified as real humour, and they deserve their props for that. It was nice to see a rom-com that relied on more than cheap clichés and slapstick humour.

In the Broad Sense

The storyline manages to hit all the points that rom-com fans know and love; slow-burn romance, dramatic splits after arguments, a yearning for a greater purpose. However, it doesn’t do much beyond that. Despite the effort put into world-building, special effects, futuristic wardrobes, and political satire, the storyline would hardly been any different if it happened in New York City like When Harry Met Sally did. The film’s setting and premise provided a great set-up to make it something much more, and yet it wasn’t. Though it isn’t necessarily barrier-breaking, it is a unique film and worth a watch. This is a great film if you want some cosy romance with modern sentiments and a side of old-school sci-fi.

Rating: (3 / 5)

Also Read: Rom-Coms: The Unlikely Benchmarks of Feminist Progression

The post Love in Space: A Review of ‘Molli and Max in the Future’ [BFI London Film Festival] appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The film was a box office success and received critical acclaim in India, but we at Big Picture Film Club think it deserves a little more love internationally. Mild spoilers ahead;

The Story and Characters

There’s an old saying; nothing is new under the sun. Contemporary film is littered with remakes and retellings of old stories. Now, this is one of the very few times when I can say this; I have never seen this story told before.

The film begins with a young boy planting a mango seed. He digs it up to check on it multiple times and is frutrated that it won’t sprout. Cut to the present day. Pradeep is a young man who spends his savings to buy his girlfriend, Nikitha, a new smartphone. He waxes poetic about how close they are and how they know everything about each other. Due to the social stigma around dating, Nikitha lies to her strict father about where she got the phone.

Unfortunately, her father still finds out. Pradeep has to formally introduce himself to Nikitha’s father as a suitor for marriage. The old man shocks them with a strange condition; he will allow them to marry only if they exchange phones for a day. Their seemingly perfect relationship begins to fall apart at the seams as both their secrets come to light. Then, an unexpected third party throws a wrench into the already collapsing structure.

The Characters

The characters were all multi-dimensional and it was enjoyable to peel back each layer as the film progressed. No one was exactly whom they seemed to be. I applaud the moving subplot and stellar acting from the entire cast. Personally, I did not appreciate the focus on Nikitha’s purity. The moment that this sexual “purity” came into question, her community cast her to the dogs. Her reputation only survived once the accusation was proved to be false. On the other hand, most of Pradeep’s questionable behaviour was swept aside. The film holds women to the same impossible standards as hundreds of years ago.

The Visuals and Sound

The special effects in this film are impeccable. This is clear from the opening scene which shows each step of a smartphone being manufactured from with beautiful clarity. There was good visual storytelling, like the scene of the boy (later revealed to be Pradeep) planting a mango seed. The symbolism stood out to me. Nothing can truly grow, whether a seed or love, unless you leave it alone and trust that it will sprout. A lot of effort was taken to build up to the main story, even with a modest budget.

I appreciated the combination of more traditional shots, like the warm scenes of the couple sitting side-by-side on the beach, with the contemporary scenes of face timing, conference calls and scrolling through apps. The film featured mostly traditional Indian sounds complimented by techno-beats whenever the momentum picked up.

Before I Blab on for Too Long,

Pick up the remote and try this memorable rom-com. With heavy themes of gender roles, social expectations and just how dangerous (or liberating) technology can really be, the moral conclusions of this movie are up for debate. However, the high production quality cannot be denied and the comedic aspects are easy to appreciate. To the viewer, it really begs the question; how well do you really know the people you love?

Also Read: Netflix Hidden Gems: The Girl in the Yellow Jumper

The post Netflix Hidden Gems: Love Today appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Today I am going to look over his career by running down five of his best performances. Each of these roles shows off something great about McConaughey as an actor and I will be analyzing why he makes each of these parts work. Alright, alright, alright, let’s begin.

David Wooderson – Dazed and Confused

His first big-screen role shows McConaughey’s penchant for completely stealing the show. Despite only having a handful of scenes Wooderson is Dazed and Confused’s most memorable character. With his laidback attitude, smooth voice, and commanding screen presence McConaughey and director Richard Linklater created the cinematic embodiment of the cool counter-culture man child. And it remains not only his best small part but perhaps his most iconic role.

Benjamin Barry – How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

This one role is here to represent McConaughey’s best qualities as a romantic lead. Benjamin, an advertising executive, must convince Andie (Kate Hudson) to fall for him to score his latest contract. But Andie keeps trying desperately to break up the relationship because she is currently writing an article about how to lose a guy in 10 days. The set-up and payoff are obvious, but McConaughey makes it work. He’s incredibly charming in the part. With his slick self-confidence, infectious energy, his great comedic timing (being the source of most of the film’s laughs), and his fantastic chemistry with Kate Hudson, McConaughey turns something insufferable into something bearable and occasionally enjoyable. Sometimes great performances are more valuable in bad movies.

Killer Joe Cooper – Killer Joe

Killer Joe Cooper is a world away from McConaughey’s romantic leads. Hired to kill a family’s estranged mother so they can claim her insurance Joe Cooper is a vile, disgusting, and intimidating presence. He coldly commits murder and holds people to ransom when his fees aren’t paid. McConaughey’s performance pulls no punches. He leers over young girls and forces people to commit horrendously debasing acts to establish dominance. But he has an honesty about himself and how he views the world that makes him strangely watchable. This is perhaps McConaughey’s best villainous role.

Ron Woodroof – Dallas Buyers Club

The role that won McConaughey his Oscar. Ron, a red-blooded homophobic Texan, is diagnosed with HIV during the height of the AIDS crisis and begins smuggling unapproved drugs that help alleviate the effects of the virus into the US to sell to AIDS patients. Initially, because of his attitude towards the gay community, Ron is very unlikable. But after having to walk in their shoes he slowly comes to their side and McConaughey keeps you thoroughly engaged. His dramatic weight loss adds authenticity and vulnerability to his performance. He’s also quite darkly funny and charming in the role. And McConaughey’s charisma keeps Ron watchable even when you don’t like him.

Detective Rust Cohle – True Detective (Season 1)

Rust Cohle is an extremely pessimistic (at times nihilistic) person. His only strength is investigation and aside from that, he believes humanity is a lost cause. As the series continues we find the reasons behind his feelings are very justified. However, the subtle sparks of humanity we see in Rust make us route for him to recover his long-lost optimism. Ultimately McConaughey’s the reason Rust works so well. In other hands Rust would sound whiny and annoying. But McConaughey’s slow and soft vocals, his world-weary stares and relaxed demeanor make him feel like someone who truly knows what the abyss is. And whenever he speaks, you can’t take your eyes off him. For my money, this is Matthew McConaughey’s best role.

Thus ends my list of Matthew McConaughey’s best performances. Did I miss any out or do you disagree with any of my picks? Please let me know.

Also Read: The Anatomy of a Christopher Nolan

The post The Best Performances of Matthew McConaughey appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.