Dystopian, oddball meditation on love and relationships

Rating: 9/10 (14 February 2016)

Somewhat ironically I'm writing this on Valentine's day after watching it with my wife the night before.
This is definitely not a rom-com and gag-a-minute, but if you like your films in the Harold & Maude, Twin Peaks style then this meditation on relationships could be up your street.
First of all, well done to Colin Farrell for taking this role - it's definitely not the type of role you'd expect him to be appearing in, ie alpha male, confident and worldly. Here he is low-energy, down-trodden and unmistakably average with fantastically understated acting.
The basic premise of the Lobster is that single people (loners)are 'arrested', placed into a hotel and given an allotted time (45 days) to find a relationship/love. If they fail, they are then 'disposed' of and turned into an animal of their choice. Farrell's choice of animal is a lobster - hence the reason for the title. Loners can increase the time limit by hunting and tranquiliser-darting other loners in the forest nearby - kind of like a café loyalty card but obviously more active and arduous. If the loners are successful in 'partnering up' they are put in 'couple rooms' where they are monitored and assessed for compatibility.
So there you have it. A somewhat unusual premise - not for everyone (definitely won't be suggesting my parents watch it, but I have several friends that I would).
Frankly there is too much to say about the film without giving the game away, but Farrell's character finds himself entering this hotel, accompanied by a dog - Farrell's brother (who was unsuccessful at the hotel previously) - and tries to find a suitable partner. Along the way we meet several oddball characters (the kind of people that you would find in a David Lynch meets Blue Hotel kind of establishment) and the desperation is palpable.
Like in life, some succeed, some don't. There is a naive brutality to the movie which at parts made me squirm in my seat, but there is much that is darkly funny and astute in the pitfalls of love and relationships.
Would I recommend this movie - yes, but like I say, it's not for everyone, but for me. A very unique, oddball movie that in a strange kind of way actually makes sense.
Want rom-com popcorn, this isn't it. Want something that you'll end up thinking about for a while to come... This is it.
To me, probably one of the best films I've seen this year so far.