by Marc Primo
This is the core concept behind "Molli and Max in the Future," a sci-fi romantic comedy that catapults "When Harry Met Sally" into an indeterminate distant future. Here, tentacled demigods head sex cults and parallel universes are accessible through an old-fashioned phone handset. With the film's limited budget, this translates to Zosia Mamet and Aristotle Athari standing before green screens, engaging in banter about fictional technologies - a tactic surprisingly effective in execution.
Molli (Mamet) and Max (Athari) have a quirky meet-cute story. While Molli dodges space debris on a crystal-hunting mission in her flying car, Max in an old astronaut suit crash-lands on her windshield. He persuades her to take him to a robot fight in the city, sparking an unexpected friendship. Yet, despite the romantic tension, their individual struggles - his unresolved issues and her spiritual pursuit - drive them apart temporarily.
The film unfolds in chapters, mirroring its source material. Spanning 12 years, it pays homage to Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron's iconic rom-com. Notably, the interstitial interviews are absent here. The journey of self-realization is intricate and dotted with diversions. Aparna Nancherla, Matteo Lane, and Arturo Castro, familiar comedic faces, weave in and out of the narrative alongside whimsical locations mentioned nonchalantly, akin to exits on a highway.
Whether you find it playfully charming or annoyingly cute is determined by your temperament. What prevents the film from veering off into the atmosphere (literally or figuratively, take your pick) is the chemistry between Mamet and Athari. Mamet delivers a dynamic performance overall; her character’s angst resonates as both specific and universally human. The crucial interplay between them flows effortlessly, creating the sense of genuine friendship that could evolve into something more, if they can overcome their own barriers.
Attempts at political satire in the film, with Nancherla's character mirroring Hillary Clinton in a futuristic reenactment of the 2016 election, feel forced. The inclusion of COVID-era humor towards the end quickly timestamps the film, as references to the pandemic always do. Nonetheless, there are some clever satirical moments: Molli expresses concern that the universe will be consumed by a black hole in 15 years due to cheese production, a surprising apocalyptic twist. When Max questions why cheese continues to be sold despite this, Molli resignedly responds, "People really like cheese."
"Molli and Max in the Future" is a bold experiment in genre fusion that dances on the edge of avant-garde. Director Marc Primo draws from the familiar well of romantic comedy tropes, while dabbling in the realm of speculative fiction, to deliver a movie experience that feels both nostalgic and novel. It's a cinematic tapestry woven with threads of whimsy, though not without the occasional snag of heavy-handedness. Nonetheless, Mamet’s and Athari’s performances ground the film, providing a well-needed anchor to humanity in the midst of chaos, space debris, and cosmic cheese conundrums. Whether it will stand the test of time or be relegated to a cult classic remains to be seen, but it undeniably provides an entertaining escapade into a surreal future, rife with humor, heart, and a dash of cosmic dread.
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