I Guess You Could Call it a Rom-Com

Rating: 8/10 (18 January 2019)

When I look to watch a movie, the first thing I look for is a creative idea executed well to make the movie memorable and unique; and Yorgos Lanthimos delivers excellently with his 2015 film, The Lobster. This movie fits its absurdist style absolutely and asserts that relationships can be shallow and driven by our necessity to not be alone.
The general plot of this movie starts by introducing that in this world, Newly divorced David must find a wife within 45 days or face the fate of getting turned into an animal of his choice, to which he chooses a lobster based on its longevity and his fondness for the sea. To complete this impossible mission, all single people are relocated into a bleak and propagandist hotel designed to force singles into couples to conform to society. Lanthimos uses this outlandish setting to present the weak connections behind many relationships.
Lanthimos masterfully characterizes very minimally while filming in an intentionally mundane way. Lines are read choppily and shots are long with little background sound or action. But the first time watching, I could barely look away based on the sheer absurdity of the style and premise of this movie in addition to some hilarious lines and situations that arise out of the awkwardness. In a bold move by lanthimos, he chooses to not give name to any of the other characters, instead describing them by one major characteristic such as the girl who gets frequent nose bleeds, the man with the limp, the man with the lisp, or the cruel woman. The bored disengaged filming style and its creative characterization shattered every expectation that I had that one could do with a movie and kept me hooked throughout the film.
The Lobster fits very similarly to what Lanthimos has done in the past with his movie Dogtooth. In that movie the main characters are also not given names and they are confined to their house under their overprotective parents similarly to how David is confined to the relational pressure to find a companion that manifests itself in the ultimatum enforced by the blank conformity of the hotel.
Lanthimos' directing style contrasts in almost every way to what Anthony and Joe Russo did with Avengers Infinity War. The Russo brothers used every scene and a complex plot filled with colorful scenery, quick cuts, and near constant action to create an energetic movie. Lanthimos did almost everything differently and still created an interesting movie, showcasing his ability to do everything differently from a traditional Hollywood movie and it still create a success.
I have two complaints with this movie, one being the score and the other being the length of the second half of the film. The score of the movie is the same song that repeats throughout the movie, and it often feels overused. My other complaint is that certain scenes in the letter half of the movie feel long and unnecessary. There is one scene where David and the short sighted woman are walking into town. In this particular scene, the uncompromising nature of the style of the film backfires with a long dialogue less walking scene in a second half that doesn't need to be as long as it is.
Contrarily, the theme continues strongly into the second half. David, running out of time, escapes the hotel and joins the group of loners who view relationships in the opposite way. This group faces mutilation if caught with a companion. Lanthimos uses this group to flesh out the opposite end of the spectrum and hypocritical nature of how society views relationships. Lanthimos claims that society penalizes both being happily single and being in a relationship.
The true strength of this film is demonstrated in its unique setting and the style in which it is filmed. This movie stuck firmly in my memory because it is truly like nothing I have ever seen before and that is what makes it great. The film style, with its gray and muted colors creates a movie that is ironically unforgettable.
In addition to being a unique movie, this movie stays strong to its theme and provides a strong commentary on what relationships may become in the future. I will concede that this movie is not for everyone, but I will recommend it to anyone who appreciates seeing a fresh perspective taking to movie making. I'm giving The Lobster a 4/5 and I will definitely rewatch in the near future.