Disappointing

Rating: 5/10 (17 March 2016)

In the last few days I have watched Olympus has fallen, Me, Earl and the dying girl, and The Lobster. I thought The Lobster the weakest of the three. Does this show that I prefer blockbusters and indie movies to high concept art-house? Not at all, if anything the opposite is true. But I thought the first two were excellent contributions to their genres, firing on all cylinders, while the third underperformed. The Lobster has a terrific cast and it is beautifully filmed with lovely music - though I could have done with less of the staccato Shostakovich. But a film like this needs intellectual clout and the idea driving The Lobster is thin. It simply doesn't sustain a two hour movie, and by deliberately presenting its characters as emotionally distanced, the film denies itself the chance to engage your heart as well as your head. In comparison with a film like Never let me go it is a cold and empty experience. It is beautiful to watch and occasionally funny but that's not enough.