Review #1,011: 'The Lobster' (2015)

Early in 2015, word-of-mouth was spreading from festival-goers that The Lobster was a strange masterpiece, a dark and bleakly hilarious portrayal of modern relationships that could even compete for the Oscars as long as the voters were not put off by the general weirdness. It however limped into cinemas with little promotion (that I saw), gaining positive reviews from the critics, but was notably absent during awards season. This may have been down to the film being simply too out-there, but I believe it's down to the fact that the incredible precision of the first act gives way to a depressingly bleak and rambling latter half.

The first half of the film is where Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos sets the scene for this not-too-distant living nightmare, where couples must either find a loving partner or face being turned into an animal of their choice. Sullen David (Colin Farrell) arrives at a hotel in middle-of-nowhere Ireland hoping to find a mate. The rules are simple - find love within 45 days or become a wild beast, and David has decided he is to be a lobster. Escape into the surrounding woods and you'll have your former buddies hunting you at night with a tranquilliser gun in the hope of gaining an extra day for each 'kill'. David tries courting the 'Heartless Woman' (Angeliki Papoulia), as she is billed, but things turn sour and he decides to make off into the trees.

The hotel scenes are mostly uncomfortably hilarious. David's new friend, 'The Limping Man' (Ben Whishaw), tries to find common ground with 'Nosebleed Woman' (Jessica Barden) by bashing his head against a wall to cause his nose to gush so they can share something in common, while the Lisping Man (John C. Reilly) is forced by the stern Hotel Manager (Olivia Colman) to put his hand in a toaster as a punishment for masturbating (which is strictly forbidden, while the inhabitants are forced to receive a dry humping from the Maid (Ariane Labed) without ejaculating every morning). Courtship here is routine and emotionless, likely commenting on the ridiculous state of modern dating, which is usually based on linking shared interests and statistics electronically. Whatever happened to a good old natural spark?

It's also depressing, but absorbingly so, but loses its pace once David is in the woods. He meets the leader of escaped hotel guests the Loners, played by Lea Seydoux, whose way of life seems even harsher than the hotels. Romance and sexual activity are punishable by violence and mutilation, but nevertheless David falls in love with the 'Short Sighted Woman' (Rachel Weisz). Once the focus shifts away from the Hotel and the bizarre hook of the films title, the film is just not as interesting while in the world of the Loners. The satire loses its edge and the story could have benefited from 15 minutes or so shaved off. Still, The Lobster is an oddball experience I would recommend anyone to sit through at least once, and features a terrifically restrained performance from Farrell, playing against type.


Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, Olivia Colman, John C. Reilly, Angeliki Papoulia
Country: Ireland/UK/Greece/France/Netherlands/USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie