Temporary Stuff

One of my favorite things about watching a movie with a non-linear plot is asking the question “Why did the director make this stylistic choice?” To be honest, I usually dislike movies with this kind of plot structure, as I believe it needlessly overcomplicates a would-be simple and coherent story, confusing the viewer a bit in exchange for presenting the story in a different, more unique way. However, Futureless Things managed to become an exception to the stigma that I have against non-linear films. It tickled my brain, making me ask questions out of curiosity rather than out of the need to understand the film. I kept on asking myself things like “How do all these stories come together?” or “How does the title come into play?” which I think are what a “weird” film like this one should be making its audience ask. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the film because it kept my interest with its uniqueness whilst not overcomplicating itself to the point where I’d be too confused to follow the events.

I think what made the film’s non-linear plot structure work for me is that it didn’t really have a “main” protagonist. Instead, upon viewing the film, I was treated with seemingly normal, yet unique characters who had their own stories. Where most films of this type I believe fall flat is when they force a perspective on a single character, which just ends up becoming off-putting due in large part by being hard to follow. Cutting the events of the movie into slices following certain characters let me focus on what was happening then and there instead of trying to piece the events of the film as I was watching it.

Speaking of the characters, I found them to be quite unique and memorable. None of the part-timers, except maybe the lazy old worker, fell into pitfall that is predictability. The stories that I enjoyed watching the most were those of the aspiring actor, the refugee, and the aspiring English-speaker not only because I found them to be funny but also because of how relatable the characters felt to me. The problems of being judged by your nationality, how well you speak a certain language, or even just being kept from a place where you want to be due to an unforeseen circumstance are all ones that I relate to. I think what also helped make these characters relatable is that they were nothing more than convenience store workers. They’re not government officials trying to stop a rampaging lizard, nor are they Scottish drug addicts on a heroin trip, but they’re just everyday people trying to deal with everyday problems. Though they might seem “boring”, this aspect of their character allows them to replicate real life.

What I really want to talk about is how the theme of being “temporary” comes in. First of all, we’re following convenience store workers. People work at convenience stores for a number of reasons: to help contribute to their household funds, to earn some extra cash on the side, or because they feel like they don’t have anything else to do, all of which can be boiled down to the idea of working there because they feel they have to. Second, that same idea also goes for convenience store customers. Most people don’t go to a convenience store because they want to go on a date, but because they need something like food or supplies. Third, all of the stories had a certain aspect to them that made them “futureless”. The aspiring actor couldn’t get to his audition on time, putting brakes on his career. The refugee didn’t pursue a future with the man who harassed her. The english-speaker didn’t have much of a future in the language until he put more effort into it. These are only some examples of the futureless aspect of these characters. However, there is one more stylistic choice made by the director that really felt like he was putting a timer on each character: showing the clock at the beginning of each story. After catching on, I realized each character was given about 10-15 minutes to make an impression with their story, after which they would be replaced by the next one. This stylistic choice really helped in making the characters feel futureless because although they’re interesting, you really cannot get attached because they’re moving onto the next one.

Upon first viewing, I found the film to be very confusing. However, after thinking about each individual story, and then discussing the film with my peers, I found Futureless Things to be quite the enjoyable viewing experience, which I would watch again just to see if there’s anything I missed, which there probably is.