Romance movies come and go, but unless they're done by Charlie Kaufman they tend to be pretty traditional. But that's certainly not the case for Yorgos Lanthimos' weird, futuristic love story The Lobster, which won multiple awards at Cannes last year and is poised to occupy a unique spot when it arrives stateside next month.
Starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Lea Seydoux, John C. Reilly, and Ben Whishaw, the story takes place in a world where being in a relationship is valued above all else. Those who are single have 45 days to find a partner, otherwise they'll be transformed into the animal of their choosing. Farrell plays a man in just such a position, until he falls in love with the one woman he's not allowed to be with.
It's an oddball concept, and Lanthimos attacks it with humor and insight, constructing a reality that is immersive and strangely believable. There are still plenty of problems with the approach Lanthimos took, but The Lobster should be a welcome change of pace when it opens on March 11th.
