The Lobster (2015)
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Synopsis
Set in the UK in the not too distant future, all single people are sent to ‘The Hotel’, in order to meet their perfect partner and fall in love. They have 45 days to do this, otherwise they are transformed into an animal of their choosing and let loose in ‘The Woods’ to eke out a new existence. When David (Colin Farrell), an overweight and socially awkward man arrives with his older brother, who was transformed into a dog when he failed at ‘The Hotel’, he resolves to run away and join the 'Loners', singleton rebels who are happy to remain unattached. Here, he meets a short-sighted woman (Rachel Weisz) and falls in love with her.
Review
Absurdist comedy doesn't get more ridiculous or ludicrously enjoyable than this piece from co-writer and director Lanthimos (Dogtooth, 2009).
Farrell is a brave star to show himself, all middle-aged spread in white y-fronts, in a less than unflattering light, but he's also exceptionally good value as an actor these days, here starring as the dullest of singletons with a bank manager voice and grey pallor.
Even better is Lea Seydoux, on magisterial passive aggressive best form as the leader of the 'Loners' who punishes with relish those who transgress her singleton edicts, but manipulates real affections for her own ends.
Lanthimos and co-writer Filippou enlarge on the preposterousness of human mating rituals and behaviour and societal expectations of us, under an unrelenting cinematic microscope in this farcically exaggerated examination.
It isn't funny per se, but it will raise a smile as we all recognise the Krypton Factor assault course of nonsense we put ourselves through in the pursuit of togetherness...or alone-ness, as the case may be.
This odd-bod treat will be showing at Cineworld Milton Keynes on a limited run - so catch it while you can!
For more on the film, see the full review: http://ow.ly/Twt2F
For a list of other film's being screened at Cineworld Milton Keynes: http://www1.cineworld.co.uk/cinemas/milton-keynes
Cast & credits
Producers: Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos, Lee Magiday. Writers: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou Camera: Thimios Bakatakis Sets: Jacqueline Abrahams
Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Wishaw, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman, Léa Seydoux, Angeliki Papoulis, Ashley Jensen.
