The Lobster
In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.
Cast
Colin Farrell – David
Rachel Weisz – Short-sighted Woman
Ben Whishaw – Limping Man
Olivia Colman – Hotel Manager
Ashley Jensen – Biscuit Woman
Jessica Barden – Nosebleed Woman
Angeliki Papoulia – Heartless Woman
Léa Seydoux – Loner Leader
Blood and Biscuits
For those viewers who enjoy a more messed up, spaced out and downright surreal film – look no further. The Lobster comes firmly under these categories whilst highlighting the popular subject of partnership – being a couple in a relationship, and general social pressure to be in one. It highlights the subject well too; bringing wacky characters in to play out some utterly bizarre scenarios throughout its screen time. And when I say bizarre I mean – fucking WEIRD. An example is the scene where the hotel owner (Colman) and her partner are on stage delivering a presentation on being alone, and being with a partner. Microphone in hand, the hotel owner announces sternly, “woman walks alone”.
A hotel maid stood upper stage centre becomes animated and walks around the stage (as though strolling through a park). She passes the male hotel butler who then springs to life and drops his trousers.
The maid stops, the man simulates arse-fucking her whilst she waves her arms in the air unenthusiastically, calling out, “help. Help. Help”.
Many of the audience – including myself – howled with laughter.
They then return to their standing positions on the stage.
The hotel owner then announces, “woman walks with man”.
A third hotel employee appears and walks hand-in-hand with the maid across the stage, as the butler stands with his hands in his pockets, staring motionless into space.
Being so funny was actually a good way of pointing out the whole topic of relationship pressure. And also stated that if a woman has no form of masculine protection, she is more or less at risk of being ‘entered’ unwillingly.
This was not the only scene to get the message across in a comical or sinister way; the entire movie was dripping with sarcasm and deadpan humour. I haven’t seen a movie like The Lobster in a long time, so it was a refreshing turn of genre. But not just for me – there were quite a few people in the audience who were lapping it up, it was their kind of humour.
Another scene sees a desperately single middle-aged woman die in a horrific stunt. The biscuit-loving resident throws herself out of a window and lands on hard concrete below.
Another resident of the hotel can be seen (in the corner of the screen) simply sitting enjoying her outdoor cup of tea, bearing no reaction at all to what just happened. But when asked what has happened she replies, “she jumped. There is blood and biscuits everywhere”.
If the humour of this science fiction movie doesn’t fit with your own sense of humour, you’re likely to be sat frowning and wondering why other people find such dialogue and scenes funny. Save yourself the ticket cost and stay home if you dislike surreal comedy.
Sinister Script
Shortly after arriving at the hotel residents are asked to take part in a presentation by going up on stage and telling everyone who they are. From the man with the limp who doesn’t enjoy having a limp but got used to it anyway, to the woman whose smile is her best feature – but it isn’t, and the young girl who suffers nosebleeds, the dialogue delivered in this scene is strangely hilarious. I mean strange – and hilarious. Anything the characters said had me frowning in almost disbelief whilst laughing out loud. This was just the beginning, but The Lobster was already proving to be wonderfully weird. I was loving it, sheer escapism.
The movie is nicely cast; and I’m not even talking about Farrell, it’s mainly his backing performers who bring the most laughs. Two young girls who are best friends – until one of them gets turned into a horse – provide deliciously deadpan moments, including one reading the other a parting speech before her friend’s transformation. She speaks softly, a parting speech, about how wonderful a friend she is – and that she also has nice tits..
Scottish actress Ashley Jensen (most people probably don’t have a clue who she is unless they watch the random dark comedies she stars in) plays a miserable middle-aged biscuit lover who provides a good giggle just with her droopy, confused facial expressions.
Olivia Colman excels yet again just at being an actress. The woman seems to go from strength to strength, pulling another engaging character out of the bag in every movie she does. This time round she plays Hotel Manager; a well-spoken smart woman who the residents don’t want to mess with. Especially the man who is caught masturbating and has his hand put into a red-hot toaster. Not good.
By Christ, if that was me..
I wouldn’t have any hands left the amount of times they’d catch me ‘bashing one out’.
The Lobster is one of those movies that bubbles with a bustling, dynamic cast. Each actor had their own quirk which added nicely to the dystopian story as it progressed. Including Weisz, who provides narration throughout in a brilliantly dry, almost mocking British voice.
The gags, jokes and even the more serious of scenes are very strange but highly effective at making the audience laugh out loud frequently – IF they are the type of audience who embrace this sort of humour.
If you’re feeling a bit weird on the day you see this movie, it’ll probably make you feel weirder. However, if you need a good laugh and 116 minutes of total escapism, enjoy!
This is one of the most surreal things I’ve ever seen at the cinema, but definitely worth a go.
Ricky's Film Reviews 