February 8, 2024
FILM: MOLLI AND MAX IN THE FUTURE
DIRECTED BY: MICHAEL LUKK LITWAK
STARRING: ZOSIA MAMET, ARISTOTLE ATHARI, ARTURO CASTRO
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
The Michael Lukk Litwak film Molli and Max in the Future is an interesting and visually well-realized science fiction story about the title characters who meet in space many years after the planet Earth has been destroyed. It is also a traditional romantic comedy that features all of the usual tropes we’d associate with the genre in a uniquely imaginative setting. The film stars Zosia Mamet as Molli. The actress is best known for her roles on Girls, Mad Men, and The Flight Attendant. Her many years in the business clearly show in her highly enjoyable and relatable performance. Aristotle Athari plays Max. He’s mostly known for a brief stint as one of the “featured” players during the 2021-22 Saturday Night Live season. He’s a bit more flat and cold here, perhaps trying to channel the stoic male of rom coms. More likely, he just needed some better directing to bring his character to life.
Regardless, this is a very inventive visual experience featuring all sorts of space film iconography. The two characters first meet when Molli is in her flying car between planets and gets into an accident with Max. She has to give him a ride through space and they quickly develop the kind of rapport we might expect from two very different male/female characters in a romantic comedy. He’s a bit of an aimless bro who becomes a universal media success. She’s also trying to find herself but feels more determined and emotional.
The relationship between them unfolds over several chapters in which time (a matter of months and a few years) goes by and they each experience various adult personal and career challenges. Molli joins what turns out to be a cult while Max reluctantly engages with his success. They each date other people but always seem to come back together as best friends. As we might expect from a rom com, the big question is will they or won’t they get together by the end of the film.
While the romantic angle of the story is pretty traditional it is the universe created that is most interesting. This includes a variety of planetary settings and some cleverly created characters that have small cameos in the film. Most of the effects are either digitally developed and/or captured via green screens. Pretty much the entire film is made up of these visual backgrounds and they are quite amazing to see. Perhaps younger audiences might feel they are a bit steeped in what they’ve seen in video games but I found them quite dazzling and original.
The characters deal with some of the same stuff people do today: cyber dating, social media, and unsatisfying relationships with therapists. They deal with traffic (albeit in space), watch game shows, and discuss life. As such, this is a universe in which the characters are clearly more agnostic than theistic in their search for answers to the universe. Their discussions are often very funny and full of witty one-liners. The music score is generally pretty whimsical and jazzy. All in all, it’s a pretty light and enjoyable experience.
I do think though that the inevitable romantic issues that lower the energy pretty substantially, at what should be a more compelling climax, do eventually bog down the narrative. Still, the characters, visuals, and general tone of the film make it pretty enjoyable. It’s not going to appeal to the most avid of sci fi fans but it will definitely satisfy those looking for a new visual spin on the romantic comedy.
Molli and Max in the Future opens this week in limited theatrical release.
FILM: MOLLI AND MAX IN THE FUTURE
DIRECTED BY: MICHAEL LUKK LITWAK
STARRING: ZOSIA MAMET, ARISTOTLE ATHARI, ARTURO CASTRO
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
The Michael Lukk Litwak film Molli and Max in the Future is an interesting and visually well-realized science fiction story about the title characters who meet in space many years after the planet Earth has been destroyed. It is also a traditional romantic comedy that features all of the usual tropes we’d associate with the genre in a uniquely imaginative setting. The film stars Zosia Mamet as Molli. The actress is best known for her roles on Girls, Mad Men, and The Flight Attendant. Her many years in the business clearly show in her highly enjoyable and relatable performance. Aristotle Athari plays Max. He’s mostly known for a brief stint as one of the “featured” players during the 2021-22 Saturday Night Live season. He’s a bit more flat and cold here, perhaps trying to channel the stoic male of rom coms. More likely, he just needed some better directing to bring his character to life.
Regardless, this is a very inventive visual experience featuring all sorts of space film iconography. The two characters first meet when Molli is in her flying car between planets and gets into an accident with Max. She has to give him a ride through space and they quickly develop the kind of rapport we might expect from two very different male/female characters in a romantic comedy. He’s a bit of an aimless bro who becomes a universal media success. She’s also trying to find herself but feels more determined and emotional.
The relationship between them unfolds over several chapters in which time (a matter of months and a few years) goes by and they each experience various adult personal and career challenges. Molli joins what turns out to be a cult while Max reluctantly engages with his success. They each date other people but always seem to come back together as best friends. As we might expect from a rom com, the big question is will they or won’t they get together by the end of the film.
While the romantic angle of the story is pretty traditional it is the universe created that is most interesting. This includes a variety of planetary settings and some cleverly created characters that have small cameos in the film. Most of the effects are either digitally developed and/or captured via green screens. Pretty much the entire film is made up of these visual backgrounds and they are quite amazing to see. Perhaps younger audiences might feel they are a bit steeped in what they’ve seen in video games but I found them quite dazzling and original.
The characters deal with some of the same stuff people do today: cyber dating, social media, and unsatisfying relationships with therapists. They deal with traffic (albeit in space), watch game shows, and discuss life. As such, this is a universe in which the characters are clearly more agnostic than theistic in their search for answers to the universe. Their discussions are often very funny and full of witty one-liners. The music score is generally pretty whimsical and jazzy. All in all, it’s a pretty light and enjoyable experience.
I do think though that the inevitable romantic issues that lower the energy pretty substantially, at what should be a more compelling climax, do eventually bog down the narrative. Still, the characters, visuals, and general tone of the film make it pretty enjoyable. It’s not going to appeal to the most avid of sci fi fans but it will definitely satisfy those looking for a new visual spin on the romantic comedy.
Molli and Max in the Future opens this week in limited theatrical release.