The Lobster (2015)

> Another peculiar dystopian tale set in the future.

From the director of the Oscars nominated movie 'Dogtooth'. If you are familiar with his signature movie, you will find it so good. This is not the best movie I had seen that set in the future, but like any other it was another dystopian tale. A black comedy-romance with a decent storyline, performances and overall a nice entertainer.

The pace was very depressing, but I kept hooked to it for its frequent unpredictable scenes. The first act took place in a hotel which is the introduction to the odd world and the situation where the plot opens. When it moved to the 2nd half, especially after Rachel Weisz come into the frame, the entire scenario changed to atypical romance mode and kept that way till the last with a simple twist in the finale.

Colin Ferrell's character was something like the one from the movie 'Her'. But not the same movie, or the theme, except the combination of the genres. It was a good movie, I enjoyed it, but not as much as others say they did. IMPO, it is a one time watch movie for its peculiarness.

7/10

This was an odd experience, as I just recently ended a self-imposed 12-year moratorium on relationships, due to a couple of bad ones I had within a short period of time in the early 2000's. It was very intriguing to see a type of dystopia exist in which 'singledom' was so vilified to the point of actually being against the law. I would never have previously thought that such a state of events was possible, but recent trends in 'political correctedness' on the one hand and both religious and political radicalism on the other means that, sadly, nothing is impossible anymore. I thought it was a remarkable idea for a film, and both the soundtrack and cinematography were outstanding. The bizarre script and bold direction brought forth some of the best acting I have yet seen from Colin Ferrell, Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly, as well.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing other films by this brazenly original writer/director. Long may his almost-Bunuelian take on things go forth.

This was Yorgos Lanthimos' English language debut. It was really funny. All of the actors had to perform their lines straight-faced and with no emotion which is very strange at first.

The screenplay and direction of the film was very intelligent and perfectly highlights the themes of the film. This film was very quirky and unique and so I really enjoyed it.

★★★★

_The Lobster_ is the most awkward love story I have ever watched, but despite how off putting it was it touched me in ways I did not quite expect. The plot of this film is incredibly unique. The idea of being turned into an animal if you cannot find love is so weird in the best kind of way. I found the entire movie to be very sinister in nature, always keeping me on edge about what was to come next, and that was enhanced by the sharp orchestra playing underneath every scene. Yorgos Lanthimos wrote the entire film in a very awkward way. I understand that it was aiming for that type of sharp and poignant feel, but it just did not work for me. I could not help but wonder how much better the film would have impacted me if it felt more natural. The acting in this movie is incredible, the way that everyone could act so emotionless while still feeling genuine was fantastic, even if I did not particularly care for the style. Despite all my complaints, I still genuinely enjoyed the experience, even with its ups and downs. I am still left pondering the ending of the film and that is how a movie should leave you feeling.

**Verdict:** _Good_

Shortly after his wife has left him, "David" (Colin Farrell) finds himself sent to a luxury hotel where he has precisely forty five days to hook up, meaningfully, with another person else he will be transferred into a beastie of his choice (i.e. a lobster with it's virility and legendary long-life) and released into the wild. He is not alone in this oddly sterile environment presided over by a prim and proper manager (Olivia Colman), and is soon befriended by a rather obedient, follow the crowd, chap with a limp (Ben Whishaw) and his bemused friend who lisps (John C. Reilly). To be fair to "David", he has rather let himself go and isn't quite the object of everyone's desire that he might like but he does, however, manage to engage with a woman prone to nosebleeds (Jessica Barden) and then with one who can barely see the end of her own nose (Rachel Weisz) so perhaps he might escape a future armed with claws at the chilly depths? Meantime, we also learn that he also has a bit of an ulterior motive whilst in the hotel, thanks to his dog "Bob", and so at some point a plan for escape might well be in order. That done, he encounters a group of rebels who have defied the rules on relationships, some even escaped from the almost militaristic hotel, and who now expressly forbid any sort of physical or emotional interaction - to the extent that they will sew up their lips if they kiss! As he and his new belle (Weisz) try to navigate this new contrasting world, is it any safer for them with their new anarchists or might they have survived better under the aegis of Miss Colman and her wacky team? There is something deliciously erratic about the story and the performances here and as the plot unravels we see a man whose interest in romance - in any of it's guises - was at it's nadir when we started, starts to find it taking over his life and risk his survival, too. The supporting cast deliver strongly, quirkily and enigmatically across the board and the characterisations - especially from Weisz, Barden and even from the usually quite wooden Whishaw - all help to create a series of dystopian scenarios that are often as android in their approaches to human relationships as they are absurd and surreal in their depictions of how people deal with an oppressive social order.