Hilarious, gloomy and completely absurd

Rating: Null/10 (16 January 2016)

This is not a film for everyone. It's weird. It's often irrational. The central plot revolves around single people who must either find romantic partners or be turned into wild animals. Literally turned into animals. If that sounds too strange, this may not be the film for you. But if you're the type who enjoys movies that are a little different and don't necessarily need a Hollywood ending, "The Lobster" may deliver.
We meet David (Colin Farrell) as he is being ousted from his home by his wife, who has fallen in love with another man. The rules of society dictate that because he is now single, he must be sent to The Hotel to find a new mate within 45 days. If he fails, he will undergo a procedure in which he is turned into the animal of his choosing. David has chosen to become a lobster, because "lobsters live for over one hundred years, are blue-blooded like aristocrats, and stay fertile all their lives." He settles in at The Hotel with the various other men and women who share his predicament. I don't want to get too much further into the plot details because, like most films, I think the less you know going in the better.
Farrell plays the slightly insecure, puppy-eyed character he's become so good at, though this time he put on so much weight he's at first almost unrecognizable. The other main characters, including Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Ben Whishaw and Ashley Jensen all give great, reserved performances, helped no doubt by the unusual writing and directing style of Yorgos Lanthimos, known best for 2009's Greek- language "Dogtooth". Together they've created a world that looks and feels exactly like our own, right up until the moment someone speaks.
The film often feels surreal in the same way that Wes Anderson's films do, but whereas Anderson's movies can have almost slapstick over-the-top exaggerations, "The Lobster" succeeds by playing it completely straight. It's an entertaining black comedy, due in large part to the deadpan delivery of its characters. The one possible exception to this is Reilly, whose role as the Lisping Man seems to be channeling some of his exuberant, childlike Dale from "Step Brothers". While no one in this alternate world seems especially happy about the prospect of ceasing to be human, very few seem to be all that terrified by it, either. Least of all the Heartless Woman (Angeliki Papoulia), who produces one of the film's darkest scenes. What would be a brutal moment in any other film is made all the more jarring by its placement in what is otherwise just a very morbid comedy.
"The Lobster" may fly under many people's radars as it's not the typical rom-com fare, but it won three prizes at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival (and a nomination for the coveted Palme d'Or), along with an array of other film festival accolades. It does very much feel like a festival film, and as I said that may not be everyone's idea of a great movie. But if you've read this far, you'll likely want to give this one a watch.