Lanthimos is a master world builder. The lobster is a great film in a vacuum but it was important to prove that dogtooth was no fluke.
Part Bunuel, HG Wells, Kafka, Wes Anderson (that deadpan)—and wholly Lanthimos—he’s very big on a world with strict rules. Absurd rules
Great opening with a woman driving and shooting animal in the face. Sets the tone
Love Farrell’s big belly and dedication to this character I hesitate to say it’s his best (he’s in the new world after all) but it’s up there.
The use of Beethoven and the procedural way they check into this world/resort/location reminds me of a clockwork orange
A satire on marriage, ritual
Gorgeous slow-motion photography galore- 4-5 very solid sequences
“on my last night I’d like to watch stand by me”
The Barry Lyndon music- voice-over, absurdity of the voice over by Rachel Weisz—it’s very similar to the sarcastic and kind of condescending voice over of john hurt’s in dogville as well
The film is broken into two halves- the resort (forcing people trying to be couples) and the woods (forcing people apart)—the loners in the woods have strict rules too
Great scene of the loners dancing to their own music and random animals walking by in the woods
Idea of marriage is “we’re both shortsighted”, or “both of us get nose bleeds”- haha
Intermittently jarring scenes of cruelty—dead dog and suicidal woman
“How much do you lover her on a scale of 1-15? “ “14” “14 is a really impressive score”
The critiques from Lanthimos are crisp and painful
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