Review of The Lobster (2015) by Adam R — 01 Jan 2017

The Lobster is a tough movie to digest and it's certainly not for everyone. However, its one that I would strongly encourage people to give a chance. I had to watch it twice before I could decide if I like it or not, and with two viewings under my belt, I can confidently say that I really like it overall.

Yorgos Lanthimos has constructed a world where emotions are non-existent. Even the most basic human experiences such as falling in love are sucked completely dry of genuine human feelings; turning them into cold, robotic, factory-like processes. Whether or not this is a commentary on 21st century dating I'm unsure. However, I feel like there's something deeper going on beneath the surface that can be found upon multiple viewings. This is something that I will definitely be doing in the future.

Because of the lack of emotions, all of the actors speak in complete monotone. This is the biggest complaint from many of the movie's detractors. I can agree with them to an extent. The flat delivery, which in turn diminishes the stakes, does slow the movie down considerably and can make it a bit of a chore to watch at times. The two hour running time doesn't help remedy this issue. On top of that, the movie has two distinct acts, and frankly, the second act is not as strong as the first. After being immersed in this bizarre world for the first hour, we've grown used to it so everything in the second act starts to feel uninteresting.

Still, there is an emotional draw here and that comes from Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz as the leads. Despite being given very little freedom, they both manage to make these characters feel relatable through some very subtle acting. It's like watching two young children having crushes on each other and showing their affection in immature but sweet ways. You end up rooting for these two beacons of idealistic hope in a world full of cynical thinking.

Like I said, The Lobster is definitely not for everyone but I would argue that it should be given a chance. Don't be turned off by its trailers. See it for yourself.