The Lobster (2015)
Now on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD
Distributor: A24
Cast includes: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Ben Whishaw, Jessica Barden
The science of storytelling
involves taking people on a journey that is relatable in their own
lives but is also unique, unlike anything we have seen before. The Lobster is a perfect example of that. We all know what it
is like to be single at some point, but we do not live in a world
where by law newly single adults are grouped together and have 45
days to find a new mate or else you will be turned into an animal of
your choice. That would be crazy right?
This is the imaginative premise of
the Dark Comedy The Lobster. Colin Farrell as David is traded
in for a new man by his wife and is bused out to a luxury resort
full of other singles. This is no ordinary hotel however, it had the
rules and regularity of a prison. They cannot leave, no masturbation
is allowed, you cannot smoke because that will make you less
favorable to kiss and it will keep you in shape for the hunt. Now I
– Oh right, the hunt. Every so often they send the singles out
into the woods armed with tranquilizer guns to hunt people they call
the loners. If they capture a loner the authorities give the hunter
a few extra days to find a mate. Who are these loners? They are a
group of people who escaped from the hotel and are committed to
staying single. This clan has a leader and their own set of rules,
any sexual interaction is brutally punished. For recreation the
loners are allowed to listen to electronic/techno music. We see them
spread out in a field wearing headphones and dancing to the beat of
their own music. The irony here is too brilliant to ignore, these
people are banding together to protect their right to be alone.
As crazy as it seams the rules of
the fictitious culture portrayed in The Lobster makes sense,
due mostly to the realistic world the filmmakers built around this
one of a kind story. The Lobster was Directed by YorgosLanthimos and written by Yorgos and Efthimis Filippou, the same Greek
filmmakers who brought us Dogtooth (2009) which was nominated
for an Academy Award for best foreign language film. This well
drawn story is steeped in metaphor about what it is like to be single
and thrown into the dating pool. I will not spoil it for you with
details but some of the most surprising elements from the film show
the lengths these men go through to start a relationship and what the
women do while they are being courted.
When you stop to think about it,
society does look at single people differently. At ladies' night at
dance clubs, women drink free for a reason. We are put in a
different tax bracket if you are married, and rings are worn as a
symbol to everyone that you are not alone in the world. There are
couples' retreats and singles' retreats, but never both at the same
time. I have noticed that times I been out in public with a
girlfriend or even a woman I am friends with, people often start up
conversations with us. When I am out there alone people rarely
strike up a conversation with me, as if it was contagious. The hook
of The Lobster instantly caught my attention because for years
a question I like to ask when I'm getting to know people is if
reincarnation is real, what animal would you be? I would be a Flying
Squirrel, because I want the ability to fly (I know they don't really
fly but glide, but still) and I have always been fascinated watching
squirrels scurry up a tree.
If I had to pick: I'd be a Flying Squirrel
The final question, is The
Lobster a good movie to watch with your date? I have to say it
depends on how cool your significant other is, because The Lobster
is not romantic, it is a fun, twisted Dark Comedy. If on date night
you have watched movies like Eternal Sunshine of a SpotlessMind, Her, True Romance or The One I Love, then
you're good to go. Whether you see it alone or snuggled up with a loved one, if you like bold, original movies, I highly recommend The Lobster.
9 out of 10, because there was one tiny error of logic in the movie and nobody is perfect.
- Curt Wiser is the Writer/Director of
the Thriller Cam-Girl, now available on DVD from Amazon, BestBuy, and other major retailers.
