The Lobster is a disjointed film that runs too long and doesn't know how and when to end.

Rating: 4/10 (6 June 2016)

The Lobster left me Crabby
If you had to be turned into an animal, what would it be?
That is the set up for the film, "The Lobster." People go to 'The Hotel' from 'The City' because of a tragic romantic loss and are forced to choose the animal they will become if they don't find a life partner in forty-five days. It is unclear whether people are forced to go there or they choose to go because of their emotional loss. One bit of dialogue could have solved this problem, such as, "I had to come here because my wife left me; Why are you here?" would have solved this conundrum. That is just one of several parts of the story that are unclear. A film that is not completely explained is one thing; a film that is inexplicable is a let down. Like the Lynch film "Inland Empire", "The Lobster" ends too soon but goes too long and is more confusing than mysterious.
The Hotel is a combination of the worst dating scenes know to humanity. Some people are there seeking a relationship, others are happily hooked up while others try to mess up those romantic bonds using rumor, lies, unfortunate truths and the maiming of others.
Some critics say this film is in a dystopian future. It seems more like a parallel present, with the film being an allegory for relationships and how we treat each other. It is an incredibly interesting story until near the end. The setting changes, a new plot point emerges and while interesting, the end doesn't honor the quality of the rest of the film. An interesting ending might have saved the film and made it fabulous, but it got lazy. It seems the director and writer didn't know how to end it, so they left it hanging. I don't need everything resolved, but setting us up and not resolving anything is bad film making.
Imagine 'The Usual Suspects' ending with the scene of Verbal Kint sitting in a chair in Detective Kujan's office, then a fade to black. Imagine 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' ending on a shot of the three gun men facing off in the graveyard, then fade to black. Nope, the directors and writers of those films knew they needed and ending, wrote one, filmed it, and then distributed it. 'The Lobster' fails to end and runs too long. It is a major disappointment, for it had such a great beginning and middle sections. Not even the good acting, great cinematography and good editing could save the film from dying.
The critics love this vagueness, as if being confusing was artsy, just like critics once called a blank canvas fine art. It's all up to interpretation, you see, so go forth and interpret. Well, then why make a film at all? At Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 90% rating by the critics. I wonder if half of them fell asleep near the ending or went to the bathroom and missed the vast emptiness of its mindless conclusion? That must be it. Who else can explain such ratings?
Rating: Rent it. I have written myself into it giving it a low rating. It disappoints so completely at the end that it doesn't deserve more.
Peace, Tex Shelters