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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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The future in a kiss, the review: originality leaves room for predictability in the Spanish rom-com

The future in a kiss, the review: originality leaves room for predictability in the Spanish rom-com

From Spain the romantic comedy The future in a kiss arrives on Netflix, here is the review of the film that loses all its originality in conventional and predictable narrative developments.

The future in a kiss, the review: originality leaves room for predictability in the Spanish rom-com

The premise behind the film The Future in a kiss it seems, at least in the first part of the film, to be potentially able to offer an original approach to the many romantic comedies proposed on the small and big screen. The intriguing narrative cue, as will be explained in reviewhowever, is not exploited, gradually slipping into situations and, unfortunately, characters that are predictable and not particularly incisive.

The plot of the film The Future in a kiss

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The future in a kiss

At the center of Plot de The future in a kiss there is Javier (Álvaro Cervantes), owner of a small publishing house, who has a very special gift: he can know if a relationship will have a happy ending thanks to the first kiss, by seeing the future. His situation becomes more complicated when he realizes that the woman with whom he seems destined to be happy is Lucia ((Silvia Alonso), the companion of his best friend Roberto (Gorka Otxoa), while a young girl from the totally unpredictable personality (Susana Abaitua).

A fascinating not adequately developed idea

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The future in a kiss

The film directed by Alauda Ruiz de Azua kicks off with the fascinating idea of ​​the possibility of seeing the entire future of a relationship from the first kiss, but this narrative cue is never really exploited to outline the protagonist’s personality or explore the possible consequences of this “power”.
The Netflix comedy does not delve into the psychological impact of the situation and how, in the long run, there can be an impact on Javier’s ability to socialize, interact and, of course, fall in love. Cervantes thus finds himself playing a character of little depth who goes from using his “gift” to end short-lived ties to exploiting it to interfere in the existence of his friend in his own favor.
However, the actor is quite good and does not let his character slip into a representation for which it is impossible to feel empathy, especially in the second half of the feature film when Javier has to try to reconnect with Roberto, is committed to work and interacts with women of his life.
The script signed by Cristóbal Garrido and Adolfo Valor also tries to leave the fate of the character hanging, without succeeding, outlining his attempt to understand what it really means to be happy and in trying to interpret the undeniable feeling he feels towards the character entrusted to Susana Abaitua, with her wave of creativity and a look that seems to be a tribute to Clementine by If you leave me I delete youespecially in a sequence that seems to be inspired by Michel Gondry’s film and, unfortunately for a few minutes, gives hope for a more original approach to narration.
However, the film proceeds with ideas whose evolution never seems complete, remaining only ideas with good potential that are never realized on the screen. From work in the publishing field, an element that appears central but of which very little is actually shown, to Javier’s friendships, all the pieces that make up the story are juxtaposed without particular attention. The secondary characters, from the interesting Roberto to the writer in crisis, are thus only a side dish to the love triangle that must support the film.

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Two charismatic female figures

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The future in a kiss

The female protagonists Silvia Alonso and Susana Abaitua are perhaps the best element of the Netflix project and bring two very different figures to the stage, managing to make them less stereotyped than the male presences proposed. Although it is a bit difficult to really understand the reason for their attraction towards Javier, the script offers the two actresses interesting scenes to show their talent, between stories of disastrous travels and magnetic and surprising artistic performances. At the end of the film, therefore, the displeasure remains in noting that, perhaps, The future in a kiss could have offered something truly original if it had had a feminine approach, showing the point of view of the two women rather than that, rather emotionally flat, by Javier.
Furthermore, Silvia Alonso has some rather successful sequences together with Gorka Otxoa who, with her Roberto, represents a good way to understand how the protagonist’s ability also has repercussions on those around him and on his entire social life. The friendship between the two men, despite the presence of a rather amusing and exciting confrontation moment, would have deserved more space, giving its performers the opportunity to exploit their talent to give more nuances to their respective roles.

A film that satisfies, but not fully

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The future in a kiss

The future in a kissfor all its flaws, is a rather enjoyable viewing that runs smoothly to its predictable denouement.
The Spanish project keeps the viewer’s attention with a good rhythm and a succession of events that carry the story forward in a linear way and without stopping points. The soundtrack signed by Ivan Palomares also discreetly emphasizes a couple of particularly emotional moments, contributing to the smoothness of the narrative.
Alauda Ruiz de Azúa packs, through ups and downs, a rom-com whose vision leaves no mark, but entertains and excites enough not to regret the choice of title within the large catalog of the platform.

Conclusions

The Future in a Kiss, as explained in our review, had a potentially very interesting idea at its disposal to offer an almost sci-fi approach to the traditional rom-com genre. However, Javier’s ability remains an element that has never been fully explored and developed and this choice soon makes the story slide towards predictable situations that have already been seen countless times in similar projects.
The good performances of the cast and the quality of the team behind the camera, however, support the Spanish film produced for Netflix which runs quickly to its conclusion without boring, even managing to excite at times.

Because we like it

  • The two female protagonists, each in their own way, know how to attract attention and support the story.
  • The short duration allows the film not to lose the viewer’s attention.
  • The starting idea behind the story is intriguing and potentially fascinating from a psychological point of view.

What’s wrong

  • Secondary characters, especially those related to Javier’s work, are sketchily outlined.
  • The story never fully delves into the consequences of the protagonist’s gift on his life.
  • Friendship relationships, despite their obvious importance, remain too much in the shadows within the narrative.

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