Yorgos Lanthimos launched his career with Dogtooth, a strangely disturbing film about the fears of raising children. Now the writer/director turns his attention to human relationships in a futuristic satire called The Lobster. Why is it called The Lobster? Because Langthimos and his co-writer, fthymis Filippou, smoked a whole bunch of weed one day and thought, what animal would I be if I could be any animal? Oh, I know, a lobster because they live for 100 years and they swim in the ocean and can maintain their fertility their entire lives. Yeah, except for the part where poor lobsters are caught in traps, boiled alive and then their flesh sucked off their poor sad bright red carcasses. Thus presents the dilemma of modern love, modern life and human existence. We think we’re the happy kind of lobster but in reality, we’re part of the machine.
I don’t know if Langthimos got baked to write The Lobster but it does seem like the stoned ramblings of someone brainstorming about an imaginary world where people must form couples or else be turned into animals. At a hotel in the mountains men and women don similar clothing, are forbidden from masturbating, and must try to find something in someone else that they themselves have. One woman gets nosebleeds so her mate must also get nosebleeds. The worst of these is a “heartless woman” who literally has no emotions and does a thing in the film that almost made me walk out. I stuck with it, though, until the bitter end and was glad I did as the film becomes something worthwhile in its final third.
This isn’t what you’ll hear from the majority of film critics, however. They are complaining about the last third of the film, preferring the icky surreality of the first part. But I don’t know if style is enough to overcome what is pretty much a one-note joke. Despite the cast of very fine actors, including Colin Farrell, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman, Ben Wishaw, Rachel Weisz, and Lea Seydoux, the film’s satirical metaphors only take you so far. It is not until near the end where the film’s meaning begins to emerge. That meaning, as it turns out, is true love finding its way out.
The first half of film takes place at a hotel for couples to bond in a certain amount of time or else be turned into animals. If they reject that competition they are exiled into the forest with the rest of the “loners.” The couples then go on shooting sprees to kill the “loners.” It turns out these two worlds aren’t all that different. In one, only controlled love is allowed. In another, no love at all, and certainly no sex. Weisz and Farrell manage to find each other somehow and the rest is, well, the rest.
Who would have thought that this odd movie would end in love but that’s where it goes. Because what it wants to say is that love can’t be controlled nor planned nor policed. It doesn’t follow logic, nor is it based on any set formulas. It crashes upon you and there isn’t much you can do about it. This film, this odd, ugly, painful film is as romantic as Romeo and Juliet though you really do have to reach into a bucket of shit to find its riches.
The Lobster is wholly original, bravely vulgar and funny. Really funny. The cruelty to animals was the part of it I could not tolerate. Violence against human adults barely registers but children or animals? Forget it. Thus, I could not recommend The Lobster to anyone who feels as I do about animals. There is one image in the film I’d preferred to have gone my entire life without seeing or knowing about. I have that right as an old person, to try to filter out things that cause me distress.
I will admit that the film’s last third sold me mainly due to the performance of Rachel Weisz. She is such a good actress that she found the vulnerability and humanity in the automaton symbol she was supposed to be playing. Weisz looked for and found the key motivator to everything she did while most of the other actors functioned as puppets with Langthimos pulling the strings, cackling all the while no doubt.
The Lobster held me in its grip by the end because we humans, and mammals overall, are driven by key primal urges — like survival. But love is so essential to our well being, even if it is just nature programming us to mate and care for our offspring to ensure their survival. Even if the lobster is caught and boiled that doesn’t mean he isn’t born in the first place. Life goes on, love can’t help but happen.
You had me at Dogtooth. And then at Olivia Colman. And Rachel Weisz. And the stunningly charming Lea Seydoux. Fuck I hate not being in Cannes.
I’m reading every word Sasha, keep it up.
Damn, Periscope sounds really cool. To me it kinda sounds like a reverse The Truman Show, where instead of seeing Truman from the perspective of looking at him, you’re seeing what he sees instead.
Sasha, Periscope is a video blog similar to FaceTime. It’s in real time. If you have an iPhone-just download the app and sign in with your twitter account. Once you’re in, you go live to people around the world, shooting whatever you want. Twitter will let your followers know that you’re up and coming to them live, from wherever you are. You can shoot live from a party, walking through the streets, whatever, plus you get a feedback from the people watching your telecast.
Christophe, thanks for your kind review!
Pass the word.
Bryce, this is probably the best review aggregation I’ve ever read: fast, clear, succinct and funny, very effective, no wishy-washy half-hearted non-sense. You could totally rival RT and MC!
“THE SEA OF TREES is horseshit!” –Cannes
“THE SEA OF TREES is horseshit!” –Cannes
Yeah I so don’t want to pan it but …
Sasha, why don’t you Periscope some of your highlights of your trip, so we can get the feel of the magic of Cannes along with you.
Sasha, why don’t you Periscope some of your highlights of your trip, so we can get the feel of the magic of Cannes along with you.
What is that? I know it’s all over twitter but what does it mean?
Eek. I am guessing that disturbing thing involves an animal. I am still disturbed by a similar moment in Dogtooth. And vaguely remember you either not being able to watch it or not finishing it. Can’t quite recall.
I still managed to love Dogtooth and am definitely looking forward to this.
The bookies’ early fave, and it seems like that’s not about to change.
As long as the cruelty to animals is simulated, not actual, then I’m cool. Most intrigued, in fact, about the final third, when supposedly the ideas begin to dwindle. If Mr. Lanthimos feels that this part is worthy of the part that preceded it, then I trust he has a reason to feel that way. I’ll be watching with interest.
Already read a couple Buñuel bombs dropped in reviews! Exciting times!