One thing is for certain about The Lobster… it’s one of the most unusual films I’ve seen in some time. Brimming with eccentricity and all-around weirdness from the opening frame, this very, very dark comedy is an acquired taste. But those willing to endure this grim fable will find that it has a lot more on its mind than simply being strange for the sake of strangeness. It refuses to play by the rules and it stays with you long after the close, which is more than can be said of the majority of flicks one sees in a given year.
This art-house film is also open to interpretation. The movie never explicitly states what it’s trying to say and lets you judge for yourself. For me, it’s a story about social cues and expectations in the dating world. With so many online match-making services and algorithms that can take personal information and attempt to match people up with a perfect companion, one wonders why the divorce rate still isn’t dropping. While this movie isn’t about any of that specifically, it does appear to ask questions about who we choose to be with and why.
Well, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a plotline similar to this one. Set in a strange dystopia, the plot follows David (Colin Farrell), a meek man whose wife has just left him. He’s sent to The Hotel, a resort where he and other guests are given 45 days to find themselves a mate. If David succeeds in finding a new partner, they are allowed to begin again in The City. If no match is found, David will be transformed into the animal of his choice to live out the rest of his existence.
While at the resort, David befriends a man with a lisp (John C. Reilly) and one with a limp (Ben Whishaw) who are equally unlucky in love. As they are introduced to the group, they state their most prominent characteristic. Much emphasis is placed on this particular factor for a successful pairing. What follows are some incredibly awkward attempts at finding an ideal mate. These interactions are appropriately stiff and uncomfortable. Panicked, characters begin to try and cheat the system, faking matching conditions to pair up. There’s some darkly comic moments, perhaps none as funny as a comment by the limping man about his frustration in attempting to find a woman with a similar condition.
With a plot as strange as this, the tone is grim and the pacing slow and purposeful. The resort exteriors are shot in dull and icy colors adding to the deadpan humor that follows. As an example, one character does find a mate in a timely manner, but after the couple begin fighting they are immediately assigned a child as a cure. Other moments (in particular, one involving a guest with a sociopathic streak) are downright unsettling. At least when events are at their darkest, there are still a few chuckles to be had from the random and incongruous appearances of animals like camels and pigs in the wooded forests.
David eventually attempts to cheat the system before joining a rebel group led by a militant loner (Lea Seydoux). Her views are very different, but every bit as extreme (and disturbing). This leads to great danger when David begins to fall for a short-sighted woman (Rachel Weisz). But can David form a bond and break the mold? Or will societal institutions and conformity so deeply ingrained eventually influence any relationship? As a viewer, one is never quite certain where it’s all going, and there are several incredibly grim twists.
As mentioned, The Lobster isn’t for everyone. If it doesn’t speak to you, you’re absolutely going to hate it. However, this is a completely unique experience that sticks with you long after its over and at the very least open up some (hopefully) friendly debate about the ideas being presented and what it’s trying to say. Whether or not it works for you personally, the movie itself is completely original and utterly memorable.