Bland and Underwhelming

Rating: 4/10 (16 January 2017)

As was the norm in 2016, The Lobster was yet another over-hyped film. Despite an intriguing premise and a stellar cast, the film never quite makes it past the limitations of Lanthimos' dour direction. Where a better film would have zigged or zagged, the director chooses a straight, gray-toned, dull classical path that fails to fully embrace the absurdity of the plot or connect the audience emotionally to the key points or characters of the film. And make no mistake, hidden in the dim lighting and few shooting locations is an interesting and striking critique of traditional relationship expectations. There's a few shots over the bow at traditional religious conceptions of marriage and some echoes of a dystopian future where the government controls who you love as well as a few strikes at the technological culture of isolation we find ourselves in today. But this never goes far. Lanthimos takes cues from Wes Anderson and from a number of successful French films but fails to catch the color and contrast of Anderson's worlds or the passion and expression found in films like Two Days, One Night. Where a change in color palate would have offered a symbolic contrast, Lanthimos continues to live in gray. Where a quirky beat could have changed a moment, Lanthimos presses play on the most boring classical soundtrack I have ever had the misfortune of listening to. Where a few shades of supporting characters could have poked and prodded at this alternative universe, Lanthimos chooses to force Seydoux and others into tight-lipped monotone commands and little else. And where the plot needed precision, Lanthimos refuses to allow clarity, which culminates in a weed-like storyline that can't seem to bring itself into focus. To top it off, the film is completely devoid of scope or establishing shots. It lacks the broad spectrum science- fiction control network and it's technocratic representation but also lacks the color and detail of Wes Anderson's surgical and hyper- limited absurdist set creations. And in perhaps the most damning moments, Lanthimos resorts to Zach Snyder levels of slow motion, an absolutely stunning mistake for a film so highly lauded. The slow motion kills moments of tension and cuts the legs out from moments so absurd they must be felt in real time. This is all such a shame. The themes of repression, isolation and control are so promising and Farrell and Weisz are more than game for their roles (Weisz in particular is practically begging to be allowed to express some of incredible emotional gravity she was allowed to portray in films like Constantine and others) but the director refuses to be swayed. The final death toll for The Lobster came as the ending just trickled to a close. It was ambiguous (not acceptable, given the quality of the previous acts) and as dreary and dour as the rest of the film. And while I accept that Lanthimos might just hate any and all relationships, hate is still a powerful emotion, something this film lacked entirely. Don't believe the hype for The Lobster, this is one film that doesn't have the legs this awards season.