Miranda July's The Future

I find it unreasonable that so many discredit Miranda July's films as too cute or too quirky.  Is it because of this (which is actually from one of her short stories.  Yes, she writes as well.  She's that kind of woman):

If you are sad, ask yourself why you are sad.  Then pick up the phone and call someone and tell him or her the answer to the question.  If you don't know anyone, call the operator and tell him or her.  Most people don't know that the operator has to listen, it is a law.  Also, the postman is not allowed to go inside your house, but you can talk to him on public property for up to four minutes or until he wants to go, whichever comes first.

--Miranda July,

"The Shared Patio"

Both the above and her films deal with characters that long to express themselves, to make connections, but, generally, find it difficult to do so.  In that way her works are truly universal, because who doesn't feel like that?  Despite this, it may be the talking cats, quarters tapped against street poles, fathers lighting their hands on fire, or the abundance of the bewildered elderly that turn people off from her films.  In a quirky light hearted way she blends the absurd with the mundane and is very much like Lynch in that respect.  Maybe her works appeal to me in my love for Twin Peaks and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

I saw her new film The Future at the hidden cinema down the street.  I think that I may have been the youngest person in attendance (I generally bounce between being the oldest or the youngest.  Always).  After the film the audience had a debate and I tried my best to follow along to the español.  I think they ended up agreeing that the film was an enigma.  I think.  One woman made a comment about the way in which lights were used in the film and boy did people seem to be impressed by that.  It was fun to watch this crowd made up of sixty-something bearded men and women wrapped up in scarves debate Miranda July.  They seemed to really care, which was nice.

The Future is very much like her previous film Me and You and Everyone We Know.  Yet, it appears to be more focused than the prior film, whittling down its characters and story lines, and leaves the audience in a much darker and questioning territory.  And how dark!  I was surprised how un-sugary many parts of the film were.  In the end I'll have to re-watch to see how it compares with her first film.  On this one viewing, I'd have to say that The Future feels even more truthful than Me and You and Everyone We Know and, therefore, is a more mature and superior film.