The Lobster, a dark comedy about relationships, has an interesting trailer showcasing its unique story. The film has already come and gone, but if you missed it, it’s one to watch and remember how good an actor Colin Farrell is.
The movie was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and marks the Greek directors first English-language film. The Lobster was shown at the Cannes festival where it was nominated for 4 awards and won 3 of them including the highest prize at the festival, the Palme d’Or (Golden Palm).
The trailer begins with showing a man named David, played by Colin Farrell, checking into a dated hotel on the coast of Ireland. However, the receptionist asks David, “How long was your last relationship? And are you straight or gay?” – making it clear that this is not a typical vacation spot.
It continues as David explains that he is recently divorced and will be requiring a single unit at the facility, which turns out to be a place where single people are given a certain number of days to find a new romantic partner. If they are unable to do so in a 45-day time frame, they are turned into an animal of their choosing.
David shows up at the facility with a dog, which turns out to his brother Bob. Unfortunately, he was unable to pair up with anyone during his time there and was therefore turned into a dog indefinitely. The host of the facility uses Bob as a warning to David to what will happen if he is unable to find a woman to pair up with by the end of his stay.
The name of the movie comes from the fact that David says he wants to be turned into a lobster if things don’t work out.
Although the imagery of the trailer is dark, it has a unique wit to it and an intriguing quirk. The story alone is so out-there that it is captivating. The trailer utilizes ballroom music and strategically placed pauses to emphasize the deadpan humor of the film.
The trailer transitions as David is seen escaping into the woods with Rachel Weisz (whose character is referred to as “the short-sighted woman” on the movie’s IMDB page), where the two seemingly find the love they are both looking for within each other.
Along with Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz, the film also includes a few other notable names such as Ashley Jensen (Ugly Betty, How to Train Your Dragon), John C. Reilly (Stepbrothers, Wreck-it Ralph) and Michael Smiley (Luther).
While the film has the same artistic appeal that director Yorgos is known for, it also has the innovative plot and humor that could potentially propel it to success amongst a larger audience.
Not only did it receive several awards and praise at the Cannes Film Festival, but The Lobster has also gotten impressive ratings online, with 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 100% “want-to-see” rating from Rotten Tomatoes users.
A review from Martyn Conterio of SciFiNow says of the film:
“Beyond the cruel deadpan humor and icy, muted visuals is a thoughtful, romantic tale set in a world where people are forbidden from marching to the beat of their own drum. The Lobster is a defiantly oddball take on the classic dystopian future narrative.”
I am interested to see the balance between The Lobster’s obvious humor and it’s underlying story. This will be showcased as Farrell’s character transitions from hanging amongst fellow love-seekers like John C. Reilly’s character and begins bonding with a more rebellious crowd of singles living in the woods.
Since Colin Farrell’s stint on True Detective didn’t go over too well with audiences, I think this film offered him the perfect role to redeem himself as both an intense and humorous actor. I think he will definitely earn some recognition if his venturing into such an offbeat story as that in The Lobster turns out to be as successful.
The Lobster is now out on Netflix and for any lover of offbeat films, this is for you. If you like films such as Being There and Harold and Maude, you should enjoy this one.