An inventive portrait of hipsters in pre- midlife crisis is marred by an overdose of quirk in Miranda July’s second feature. Sophie (July) and Jason (Hamish Linklater), tousled-hair 30-somethings resembling emo Muppets, plan to adopt a wounded cat from a shelter, then worry “parenthood” will make them boring has-beens. Told they have to wait a month to pick up Paw Paw, the couple resolve to realize all their dreams before then.
They aim low. Sophie, a dance teacher, wants to choreograph a viral video hit, while Jason quits his IT job to become one of those clipboard-wielders who ask if you have a moment to stop global warming. Meanwhile, their sage cat-in-waiting (voiced by July) muses on love, life and the hereafter.
Delving into magical realism, writer-director July (“Me and You and Everyone We Know”) enlightens and irritates in equal measure. Sophie struggles believably with a creative dry spell, shaking off her existential stupor with an affair in the suburbs. Jason freaks out and, in a neat mid-argument trick, hits the pause button on life.
To July’s credit, this still feels like you’re glimpsing the inner workings of a real relationship. But the omnipresence of oddity in “The Future” dilutes its charm: A T-shirt creeps around on its own, a little girl likes being buried neck-deep in the backyard. Whatevs. Still, it’s not every day you see a sex scene where the heroine gets busy with a couch.