- Actors: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly
- Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
- Format: NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: R
- Studio: LIONSGATE
- Release Date: August 2, 2016
- Run Time: 89 minutes
In his first
English-language feature film, Greek filmmaker Yorgo Lanthimos brings his
signature style and sense of humor to a demented meditation on romance and the societal
pressures to pair off. There is no denying the originality in Lanthimos’s
vision, though I had hoped for more follow through on some of the filmmaker’s
creative concepts. Even with a strong central theme and a reliably consistent
protagonist, it often feels as though some of the film’s most unique ideas are
dismissed once Lanthimos has either lost interest or written himself into a
corner. The result is an unpredictable and captivating viewing experience,
albeit one that is often unsettling and slightly unsatisfying.
Though the tone
of the film is more akin to a Wes Anderson release, the basic plot structure of
The Lobster is actually quite similar
to many science fiction films from the past about a dystopian future. These
movies often show a society which is thought to be perfect, having discovered
the answer to happiness in a formula which is forced upon its citizens. When
the protagonist realizes the fallacy in these rules, there is often a breakout
and escape into the world of those rebelling or living on the outskirts of
societal structures, where the protagonist discovers another flawed extreme.
This was the structure for countless post-nuclear depictions of Earth in
science fiction films of the 1960s and ‘70s, though The Lobster applies the
same formula to a deadpan comedy about a timeless question of lifestyle choice;
to marry or not to marry.
In the world of The Lobster, it is illegal to be single.
Those without partners must live at a hotel for 45-days in search of a love
connection. There is added pressure to pair up, as those who have not found a
partner at the end of the 45-days are transformed into animals of their
choosing. Recently divorced David (Colin Farrell) has chosen to become a
lobster if unable to find a romantic partner, deciding on the animal for purely
logical reasons. Logic seems to be the basis for all of David’s decisions,
including his attempt to fake a connection with a fellow guest (Angeliki
Papoulia). Believing that all romances are built upon commonalities, David
attempts to pretend being coldhearted in order to pair up, though he is
eventually discovered and must escape into the woods with those rebelling
against the idea of forced romance.
Ironically, it
is in the woods amongst the loners that David finds a real love connection, living
with those who are even stricter in their refusal of romance than society is
about demanding it. Still under the belief that connections are built upon
commonalities, David is smitten with a loner woman (Rachel Weisz) simply
because she shares his affliction of short sightedness. It is difficult to tell
whether these emotions can be trusted when they are based on such superficial
reasoning, faulty logic which David continues to carry to the very last
harrowing moments of the film, and especially since the name of his romantic
partner is never even revealed.
While society
merely forces single people to become animals, the leader of the loners (Léa
Seydoux) tortures and dismembers the rebels which have any romantic
relationships. It is another extreme which David must inevitably escape from after
breaking this cardinal rule. This also changes the direction of The Lobster’s narrative, seemingly
forgetting about the unique idea of humans turning into animals which dominates
the first half of the film. The shift also leaves behind some of the memorable
characters from the hotel, including a lisping man played by John C. Reilly and
a limping one played by Ben Whishaw.
Despite often
being more disturbing than amusing, The
Lobster is an engaging dystopian comedy with entertaining commentary on societal
pressures and romance. I’m not entirely certain what that commentary is after
just one viewing and the experience was unpleasant enough to deter me from an
immediate repeat viewing, though Lanthimos’ vision stuck with me long after the
film had ended. This is the type of movie which leaves you thinking and with
images burned into memory. Not all of them are pleasant, but the entire
endeavor is bold enough to warrant praise beyond personal preference.
The Blu-ray
release comes with a Digital HD copy of the film, as well as a single
featurette about the making of the movie.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
Special Features: 3.5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment