Writer(s): Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou
Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden, and John C. Reilly
I have never minced words when it comes to the kinds of films I tend to like. For example, I avoid Hollywood “blockbusters” like the plague, because watching $200 million worth of computer effects, mixed with embarrassing tidbits of required “humor”, just does nothing for me. Likewise, I get bored very easily, so slogging through derivative drivel is the quickest way to ensure that I'll be dozing off at around the midway point. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I'm somewhat of a cinema snob, and that's precisely why Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster appealed to me.
It's the kind of film where all you need to do is read a couple sentences of the plot synopsis to know that it is strange: It all takes place in a mysterious future society where single people are rounded up and taken to The Hotel; there they have 45 days to fall in love with a suitable match, or else they will live out the rest of their lives as an animal of their own choosing.
In this case, we follow David (Colin Farrell), an awkward (as everyone in this movie is), unconfident nerd of a man that chooses the titular character because, among other reasons, he “enjoys the sea”. He arrives at The Hotel with his dog, which also happens to be his brother (he failed to find a mate during his 45-day sentence) and is notified of the ground rules: no sex between single people is allowed, nor is masturbation, but oral sex from the hotel's maid is fine. Other than that, the Singles are free to walk around and mingle, but must arrive in time for dinner, where all inhabitants watch mandatory dinner skits extolling the virtues of partnership (in one, a woman walking alone is attacked by a man, which doesn't happen when she has a husband walking with her; in another, a lonely man chokes to death, whereas his wife performs the Heimlich and saves him).
The humor, which is rather dry and awkward, unquestionably won't be for everyone, but there are some moments that I found downright hilarious. A majority of them involve David's forced attempt to match with a lady known only as Heartless Woman, so-called for her stunning disregard for human suffering. In one instance, David joins Heartless Woman in a hot tub, where she proceeds to choke to death on an olive, with David making no effort to help her—as it turns out, she was merely attempting to test their compatibility together. Ironically, by not doing anything to save her, Heartless Woman agrees that they would make a good match. On paper, this sequence might not sound funny, but thanks to the atmosphere of deadpan humor, Yanthimos pulls it off with straight-faced fervor.
Since it's a movie that will widely be classified as “bizarre”, that means John C. Reilly is required by law to appear in it; he fulfills his contractual obligation by playing a character known only as Lisping Man (none of the Singles in the mansion are referred to by name; instead they are called by identifying traits), who ends up receiving a harsh, primitive punishment for masturbating in his Hotel room (in a scene that somehow manages to be both unnerving and completely absurd).
Shortly after this, Heartless Woman discovers that David has only been pretending to be like her all along, when she beats his dog/brother to death. Upon hearing this, and seeing the evidence of blood all over her feet and legs, he runs into the bathroom to cry, and is caught; feeling their partnership was founded on a lie, she threatens to report him to the Hotel Manager, where he will be subject to punishment. David has other ideas, though: with the help of the maid, he tranquilizes Heartless Woman, and turns her into an unspecified animal. Realizing he will probably be caught if he sticks around, he escapes the Hotel and runs off into The Woods, joining a pack of nomads known only as Loners.
Even the Loners have their own set of rules, and chief among them is that romance between Loners is punishable by the “red kiss”: that's where the offending couple have their lips cut off and are then forced to press them together. Our narrator, who is known only as Short-Sighted Woman (Rachel Weisz), mentions that there is also “red intercourse” punishment, but she has never seen it done and doesn't even want to imagine what it could possibly entail. She gets closer and closer to possibly finding out, as she quickly falls for David, something that gradually starts to rub the leader of the Loners (Lea Seydoux) the wrong way. Will their love be enough to save them from the ire of their group, or will they have to face their stiff punishment?
There is a lot of social commentary in The Lobster, and perhaps the most effective bit is the way that partnership and marriage is forced on the inhabitants of The City; it's not a far cry at all from the way single people are generally referred to as “inferior” in today's society. From the moment we are old enough to listen, most people are taught that a life well-lived means falling in love with someone, getting married, and having children; the laws of The City consist of this idea taken to chilling extremes.
The performances are hard to critique, because all of the actors are intentionally wooden and awkward, which feed into the film's deadpan style; this was clearly designed to bring attention to the emotionless state of this future, where people quite literally go through the entire motion of life. It's a fascinating little touch--one that, like everything else in this movie, seems designed to divide viewers right down the middle—but an artistic decision that also makes sense within the context of the story. Even more telling is that it's impossible to imagine this film being played straight.
It doesn't always succeed in what it's trying to do; it does manage to taper off a bit as it winds down from its identity as awkward comedy, and starts focusing more on the love story aspect. I thought the first 90 minutes were actually pretty brisk, with everything moving along at a great pace, and then it kind of seemed to run out of ideas, ironically once the focus came on the budding romance between David and Short-Sighted Woman. That's not to say that I found it dull at any point, just that it's ideas taper off at just the moment I was expecting them to kick into overdrive.
There is also quite a bit of animal cruelty, so those with an affinity for the well-being of animals might have a difficult time making it through a couple of parts. Of course, these scenes are simulated, so no animals are actually harmed, but the scenes are realistic enough that it could easily upset people. This is neither a “pro”, nor “con” so much as it is just a warning...I was unprepared for it, and while the animal violence didn't upset me, it definitely did my wife, to the point that I don't think she would have agreed to watch it with me had she been made aware of it beforehand.
Lanthimos, you may recall, is also the director of Dogtooth, another film that's fairly well-known in some circles for its abounding strangeness. If you like that film, chances are you will like this one; at the very least, you will know what to expect. I liked Dogtooth, but wasn't blown away by it. The Lobster, though, feels like the perfect natural extension of his talents, taking a surrealistic set of ideas, and somehow combining them in such a way that it could appeal to more open-minded mainstream viewers; for this reason alone, it should be considered some kind of masterpiece.
RATING: 8/10
RATING: 8/10
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