El futuro que viene

Friendships are complex, often tangled, kinships that are continually evolving. Argentine filmmaker Constanza Novick explores the unique intricacies of these affinities in her engaging and realistic feature debut, The Future Ahead. Following the friendship of Romina (Dolores Fonzi) and Florencia (Pilar Gamboa) from preadolescence through to motherhood and divorce, Novick traces the history of a relationship as it withstands, and is at times battered by, the test of time. Pubescent Romina and Florencia want to spend every moment together. As Flor's parents' marriage flounders, she finds refuge in the sparse apartment where Romina lives with her fascinatingly hip young mom. Here and at school the girls share everything, including dance routines, a love for gymnast Nadia Comãneci, and their first crush. When we meet them again in their twenties, steadfast Romina has just given birth to a baby girl and Flor, neurotic and flighty, is a successful author visiting from Mexico. Envy creeps in as each wants what the other has. A rupture causes them to break ties for many years, until they reconnect, now both with daughters of their own. Fonzi and Gamboa give believable performances, capturing in their subtle portrayals the nuance and complexity of a bond that at times takes on quasi-marital qualities. Penetrating and authentic, Novick's exploration of the magic, the bitterness, and the foundational strength at the heart of a friendship is something that all of us can relate to.