I agree with Peter Bradshaw when he writes that
The
Lobster (2015) “appears to run out of idea’s at its mid point”
It’s a film of two halves the first holds your attention but the second half
can not be accused of the same.
The
films turning point comes when the main character escapes the confines of the
hotel and joins the loners in the woods. This dark dystopian satire is the work
of Greek born Yorgos Lanthimos who has directed and produced some of the most
atypical but enjoyable movies of the last few years including the chilling
fairy tale
Dogtooth in 2009 which deservedly
won the Prix Un Certain Regard at 2009’s Cannes Film Festival, the strangely
watchable
Alps in 2011 and also worked as co
producer on the appealing
Attenberg (2010) one of Movie Rambles most blogged movies. As is quite normal
with films that involve Lanthimos the synopsis makes strange reading….
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| David with the Lisping Man and the Limping Man. |
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| Sexual relief can only be administered by the Maid. |
It’s the present, we are somewhere in a mysterious Europe
country. David’s (Colin Farrell) wife has left him and we find him in a hotel
where the rules state that if you don’t find a compatible ‘mate’ within 45 days
you will be turned into an animal of your choice, in David’s case a lobster.
David is there with his brother who has previously been turned into a dog. The
Hotel Manager (Olivia Colman) sets the rules and they must be obeyed. Sexual
relief by masturbation is not allowed but sexual stimulation by the hotel Maid
(Ariane Labed) is. Dances are arranged so that partners can be viewed but to
form a qualifying partnership with someone you must have something in common
with each other. Everyone can extend their stay affording extra time to find a
partner by hunting and tranquilizing escapees known as Loners who live in the
nearby woods. David decides to escape
from the hotel and join the band of Loners lead by Loner Leader (Lea Seydoux).
Here in the woods the rules are different. Above all they must remain single,
romance and sex in any form is not allowed. Deviation from the rules is
punishable by violence.
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| Davids getting to know the Nosebleed Women.... |
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| ....before joining the Loners and disobeying their rules. |
You would certainly have to see the film to understand
Lanthimos’s script and even then the movie probable requires more than a single
viewing to fully understand the intricacies of this strangely hypnotic
story. The film has a great cast list,
as well as these already mentioned it includes Rachel Weisz as the Short
Sighted Woman, the lovely Jessica Barden as the Nosebleed Woman, Ben Whishaw as
the Limping Man and old friend of Movie Ramble Michael Smiley as Loner Swimmer.
Of all the films involving Yorgos Lanthimos that I have seen this is not his
best work, interesting but not quite up there with his previous movies. It’s a
real shame that the second half of the film was not as good as the first or it
could have been one of his best outings.
