The film is a simple story of a college professor traveling to Greece for a vacation where she observes a young mother dealing with her daughter who had lost her doll prompting this woman to think about her own past and struggles as a young mother back then. It’s a film that explores the idea of motherhood and how not everyone embraced it as a woman is forced to look back when she was a young woman to two little girls and watch this woman endure the same issues. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s screenplay is largely a straightforward yet reflective narrative where it follows Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman) who goes to Greece on a holiday from work as she rents a small apartment for the time as she watches many people including this young woman in Nina (Dakota Johnson) struggling to take care of her young daughter Elena (Athena Martin). Even as Elena is surrounded by a group of people including family as many of them are terrible and not really helping Nina with her struggles.
For Leda, she is forced think about her time as a young woman (Jessie Buckley) in taking care of her two daughters with her often-absent husband Joe (Jack Farthing). Gyllenhaal’s script often shows Leda in situations where she is just trying to keep things to herself but is often surrounded by people in Nina’s circle who are quite cruel including a pregnant woman in Callie (Dagmara Dominczyk) who wants Leda to move her chair away from her party but Leda politely refuses. Leda would often encounter people who are quite mean to her with the exception of Nina and the apartment caretaker Lyle (Ed Harris) as with the former often coming to her for advice. It would force Leda to think about her own young life and how being a mother to two young girls wasn’t just overwhelming but also suffocating at times as the older Leda often looks on with a sense of regret but also warning Nina that things are going to be much tougher.
Gyllenhaal’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in terms of the setting but also in the air of intimacy into the two stories of this one woman dealing with her role as a mother but also observing this young woman struggling. Shot on location in Spetses, Greece as the small town, beaches, and houses are characters in the film as this tranquil getaway for Leda and many others. Gyllenhaal does use some wide shots to get a scope into some of these locations but uses medium shots to play into the conversations within the characters as well as lots of close-ups to play into some of the anguish as well as young Leda’s own sexual desires that include a scene of her masturbating while wearing headphones to block out her screaming kids. Gyllenhaal plays into this idea of motherhood and it’s not for everyone where the young Leda is more concerned with her own desires and her work rather than be with her daughters who are both seeking her attention. The doll that belong to Elena that Leda realized was in her bag following a moment where Elena had been lost and Leda found her is a symbol of Leda needing to redeem herself but also look back at her own faults as a mother.
Gyllenhaal’s direction also play into Leda struggling to deal with some of the other vacationers though she befriends Nina, Lyle, and a young Irishman named Will (Paul Mescal) who works at the bar at the beach. Gyllenhaal often has the camera in these locations of where Leda walks onto a hill that leads to the beach but also these small locations in the town where she wants to enjoy herself despite some of the awful young locals and tourists who say horrible things to her. The third act does play into the events that Leda regretted in her past during a conversation with Nina as it flashes back to the young Leda going on a trip for a lecture where her own desires come into play among meeting a college professor named Hardy (Peter Sarsgaard). Gyllenhaal would also reveal this key moment that opens the film of Leda walking down the beach at night with a wound in her stomach as it is also a symbolic moment about the many struggles of motherhood and the sacrifices it took to accept this role. Overall, Gyllenhaal crafts an evocative yet chilling film about a middle-aged woman looking back at her faults as a mother years ago as she observes the struggles of a young mother during a vacation in Greece.
Cinematographer Helene Louvart does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as for some of the exterior scenes in the daytime. Editor Affonso Goncalves does excellent work with the editing as it does have some stylish jump-cuts as well as some unique transitions into the flashbacks. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Christine Vlachos and art director Monica Sallustio, does brilliant work with the look of the apartment that Leda lives in as well as the home she had when she was younger and some of the places she go to in the town nearby. Costume designer Edward K. Gibbon does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual with a few of the stylish clothing and swimsuits that Nina wears.
Tattoo designer Panos Kondylis does nice work with some of the tattoos that Nina has as well as some of the people in her circle wear as it play into the idea of youth. Special effects supervisor Solon Giannoutos and visual effects supervisor Antonis Kotzias do terrific work with the special effects as it is largely minimal including a scene involving a young Leda and a doll and other bits of set dressing. Sound editor Leslie Shatz does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sparse sounds heard in a location to give it that sense of realism. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchcliffe is wonderful for its mixture of blues and orchestral string music that play into the drama while the film soundtrack features original music by Greek artist Monika along with music from the Talking Heads, Bon Jovi, Judy Garland, and Roberta Flack.
The casting by Kahleen Crawford is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Alexandros Mylonas as an older professor that the young Leda meets in a flashback, Alba Rohrwacher and Nikos Poursanidis as a couple of hikers the young Leda, her daughters, and husband meet, Panos Koronis as a Greek man named Vassili who is one of the few in Nina’s circle that is kind to her, Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Nina’s husband Toni, Robyn Elwell and Ellie Blake in their respective roles as Leda’s daughters Bianca and Martha, Ellie James and Isabelle Della-Porta in their respective roles as the voices of the older versions of Bianca and Martha, Jack Farthing as the young Leda’s husband Joe who is trying to do his job as well as be a good father, and Athena Martin in a wonderful performance as Nina’s young daughter Elena. Peter Sarsgaard is superb in a small role as college professor named Hardy whom the young Leda has an affair with during her seminar trip over translations she had created.
Dagmara Dominczyk is fantastic as Callie as a pregnant American tourist who is part of Nina’s circle as she is quite cruel while often being bossy while her kindness never feels sincere as she is someone who thinks knows everything and makes Nina insecure. Paul Mescal is excellent as the bartender Will who works at a beachside bar whom Leda befriends as he helps her out with the locales on the island but also observes the people who frequent though he also takes an interest in Nina. Ed Harris is brilliant as Lyle as apartment’s caretaker as a man that Leda befriends where he spent much of his time in this small town knowing a lot of the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes along while sharing his own stories of struggle with Leda but in a different way. Dakota Johnson is amazing as Nina as a young woman who is struggling with taking care of her young daughter while feeling her marriage is crumbling prompting her to find her own desires as she is being suffocated by people in her circle where she turns to Leda for help.
Finally, there’s the duo of Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman in tremendous performances in their respective roles as the younger and older version of Leda Caruso. Buckley’s performance showcases a woman that isn’t just struggling with taking care of two young girls but also someone who is just feeling suffocated in the role as she has her own desires. Even though she has rare moments where she shows affection and time towards her daughters as it only play into a woman that knows what she has to do but is overwhelmed by having to be a mother. Colman’s performance is more reserved as the older Leda with the exception of a scene where she is antagonized by a bunch of young asshole men at a movie theater and threatens them. Still, Colman has a performance that showcases a woman with a sense of regret but also harboring the pain that she had as a young woman as it is definitely one of Colman’s great performances who also can sing as she sings along to Bon Jovi.
The Lost Daughter is a phenomenal film from Maggie Gyllenhaal as it features great performances from Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, and Dakota Johnson. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a somber music soundtrack, and its exploration of the themes of motherhood and its many struggles. The film is a fascinating thematic study that explore a woman looking back about her time as a young mother as well as watch a young mother dealing with similar struggles including unhappiness. In the end, The Lost Daughter is a sensational film from Maggie Gyllenhaal.
© thevoid99 2022
Set almost entirely on a highway in a car where a man is coming home, the film revolves Ivan Locke as he talks with various people where his life starts to shatter by not just events around him but also things that would threaten his own career as a contractor. It is a film with a simple premise where a lot of it has Ivan Locke returning home from work as he talks to his wife, his two teenage sons, co-workers, and other people as things start to unravel during the course of an entire night as he is on a highway driving home. Even as he is on a highway driving where he also copes with the invisible ghost that is his father whom he’s had a tense relationship with as it adds to the drama. There are a lot of monologues and such that writer/director Steven Knight has written as well as a lot of dialogue that play into the dramatic tension as it adds to Ivan’s own plight.
Knight’s direction does have some style as it opens with Ivan overlooking a construction site, taking off his boots, and entering his car as it’s one of the rare shots of the film of Ivan outside of the car as his face isn’t shown. Shot on the M6 motorway from the middle of England to the borders of Scotland, Knight does use some wide shots to get a look into the locations yet much of the direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots to play into the action in and out of the car with cars passing by. Notably as there’s cameras in certain areas in and around the car that focuses on Ivan’s conversations on the phone as there is always a shot of a computer screen in the car’s dashboard. The car, that is the BMW X5, is a character in the film as it play into Ivan’s own sense of isolation as his life would unravel through each phone call whether it is his sons calling him about the football game, co-workers talking about an upcoming concrete pour, and other issues through the span of nearly the film’s 85-minute running time. Overall, Knight crafts a riveting and evocative film about a man coming home as he’s on the road having phone conversation as his life unravels.
Cinematographer Harris Zambarloukous does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of low-key lights for scenes in the car and available light from other cars add to the tense atmosphere of the film. Editor Justine Wright does amazing work with the editing with the stylish usage of superimposed dissolves and jump-cuts to play into the rhythm of the drive and the drama that unfolds in the car. Costume designer Nigel Egerton does terrific work with the costumes from the sweater and shirt that Ivan wears as it play into a man who is of great importance but also falling apart. Hair/makeup designer Audrey Doyle does nice work with the look of Ivan as he becomes disheveled during the course of the film as his life starts to unravel.
Visual effects supervisor James Devlin does fantastic work with the visual effects as it is largely minimal bits as backdrops and such for a few of the scenes on the road. Sound designer Ian Wilson does excellent work with the sound in capturing the sounds on the road as well as the way phone conversations are presented. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchliffe is superb for its dream-like guitar work and bits of ambient synthesizer to play into the intensity of the drama.
The casting by Shaheen Baig is wonderful as it features the voice work of Alice Lowe and Silas Carson as a couple of people working at a hospital, Kirsty Dillon as the wife of one of Ivan’s co-workers, Lee Ross as a police official, Danny Webb as a political official, Ben Daniels as a co-worker of Ivan in Gareth, and Andrew Scott as Ivan’s assistant Donal who is trying to help Ivan with all of the shit that needs to be sorted out. Tom Holland and Bill Milner are excellent in their respective roles as the voices of Ivan’s sons in Eddie and Sean who are calling their father over a football game as well as the family drama that is unfolding. Ruth Wilson is brilliant as the voice of Ivan’s wife Katrina who receives some horrific news that acts as a source of chaos between her and Ivan. Olivia Colman is amazing as the voice of Bethan as a woman Ivan knows as she has news of her own that would add to Ivan’s unraveling world.
Finally, there’s Tom Hardy in a phenomenal performance as Ivan Locke as a contractor who is driving home as he calls many on his car phone where Hardy is restrained in some parts as well as getting upset that include these invisible conversations with his late father. It is Hardy in one of his great performance as a man that is trying to deal with the chaos of his life as well as cope with his own faults as it is just intoxicating to watch.
Locke is a sensational film from Steven Knight that features an incredible performance from Tom Hardy. Along with its ensemble voice cast, ravishing visuals, an eerie music score, and a simple yet chilling premise. The film is definitely a mesmerizing suspense-drama that follows a man driving home as he deals with phone calls where he copes with events in his life as they would unravel in the span of an entire night. In the end, Locke is a phenomenal film from Steven Knight.
© thevoid99 2021
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite is the story of two cousins who compete against one another to become the favorite and counsel for Queen Anne during the early 18th Century. The film is a study of two women trying to be the closest confidant to Queen Anne who is suffering from depression as she is also coping with events in her palace unaware of what is happening in England. Starring Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Joe Alwyn, Mark Gatiss, James Smith, and Nicholas Hoult. The Favourite is a rapturous and outrageous film from Yorgos Lanthimos.
Set in the early 18th Century during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1701 to 1714, the film follows the life of Queen Anne of England (Olivia Colman) who is dealing with depression and various issues in and out of her palace as she is suddenly pulled in an emotional tug of war in who can be her closest confidant between two cousins. It’s a film that plays into a woman who is leading a country but is incapable of running things where her adviser and lover Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) would be the queen’s spokeswoman. Along the way, she would take in her impoverished cousin Abigail (Emma Stone) who is given a job to work at the palace and later be Sarah’s assistant only to gain favor from the queen. The film’s screenplay by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara does take some dramatic liberties with some of the personal events in Queen Anne’s life in favor of some of the legendary rumors about her. Yet, they do maintain this air of disconnect of the queen as it relates to what is happening in her country.
Notably as there’s a conflict within Parliament as Tory party member Robert Harley (Nicholas Hoult) is against the queen’s idea of doubling property taxes to further fund the war as it was suggested by Sarah and Sidney Godolphin (James Smith). Harley would use Abigail to try and influence the queen as she would become attracted towards a young baron in Samuel Masham (Joe Alwyn) only for Abigail to do small things to win the queen over leading to problems with Sarah. The script doesn’t just play into this tension of favoritism between these two women but it also this dialogue that is biting and also crass in its delivery. Especially in the usage of profanity in how they refer to certain characters in the film as it would intensify during the course of the film as the rivalry between Sarah and Abigail over the queen’s affections become more dangerous.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ direction definitely has an element of style in not just its compositions but the overall presentation of the film. Shot mainly on location at the Hatfield House in Hertfordshire in Britain, the film does play into this period of turmoil with the queen trying to distract herself with food, 17 bunny rabbits, and all sorts of things but it’s not enough as she’s constantly crying over pain in her body and other things. While there are some wide shots in the film, Lanthimos would use fish-eye lenses to get coverage of some of the locations including Parliament, the kitchen, and other things as a way to not rely on tracking shots or hand-held cameras with the exception of a few moments with the usage of dolly to follow a character. Still, Lanthimos maintains an intimacy into his direction in the way he would show these three women interacting with one another as well as put them in a shot at a certain position for some unique compositions and framing.
Lanthimos’ usage of close-ups play into some of the reaction of the characters including Sarah and Abigail in their game of one-upmanship that intensifies as the story progresses. With Sarah being a master and a woman of control, Abigail would slowly learn how to scheme as it would play into her development of someone who was an innocent and impoverished woman with a knowledge of herbs and other small things into someone who gets loss through the usage of power. Lanthimos uses this idea of power-play as two women trying to win over the queen’s favor where Abigail is a woman that is constantly thinking of the bigger picture for England as she has to deal with someone like Harley who has his own ideas that Abigail believes would hurt the country and make Queen Anne look bad in front of the world.
Lanthimos would up the ante during the film’s third act where it is about the reversal of fortunes for Sarah and Abigail with the two both enduring a change in favoritism. Yet, it would also reveal some harsh realities for both women as it relates to the queen. Lanthimos’ direction would become less stylish and more eerie in its compositions with Queen Anne being roped in the middle and becoming disconnected with what is happening with her country. It also play into the idea of human nature and what some will do to maintain a certain position in the palace but also think about the fact that Queen Anne is a woman that has to make the final decisions for her country and these decisions would have an impact on the country. Overall, Lanthimos crafts an intoxicating yet darkly comical film about two women of the court trying to become the favorite for Queen Anne.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does incredible work with the film’s cinematography in its usage of candlelight and natural lighting for many of the film’s nighttime interior scenes as well as providing some naturalistic colors for some of the film’s daytime interior/exterior scenes. Editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis does amazing work with the film’s editing with its stylish usage of dissolves and superimposed images as well as some jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and humor. Production designer Fiona Crombie, with set decorator Alice Felton and supervising art director Lynne Huitson, does excellent work with the look of the many interiors of the house including the queen’s bedroom, the main hall, and the room where Parliament meets. Costume designer Sandy Powell does brilliant work with the costumes in the design of the dresses that the women wear including some of the lavish ones Queen Anne wears as well as some of the clothes that the men wear.
Hair/makeup designer Nadia Stacey does fantastic work with the look of the wigs the men wore including the makeup that is sported by both men and women in parties as well as the look of the queen. Special effects supervisor Bob Thorne and visual effects supervisor Ed Bruce do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to scenes of Abigail and Sarah shooting birds in the sky. Sound designer Johnnie Burn does superb work with the sound in maintaining an atmosphere in the locations and the way sounds are heard from another room and other elements that help play into the drama while Burn also provide some low-key ambient-like music pieces that pop up occasionally.
Music supervisors Sarah Giles and Nick Payne do nice work with the film’s soundtrack as it mainly feature an array of classical and experimental music pieces from the likes of Johann Sebastian Bach, W.F. Bach, George Frideric Handel, Henry Purcell, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Antonio Vivaldi, Olivier Messiaen, Luc Ferrari, Anna Meredith, and a contemporary piece by Elton John in the film’s final credits.
The casting by Dixie Chassay is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Jenny Rainsford as a tavern owner in Mae, James Smith as the 1st Earl of Godolphin in Sidney Godolphin who is often on Sarah’s side of things relating to politics, and Mark Gatiss as Sarah’s husband in the 1st Duke of Marlborough in John Churchill who leads a regiment as he’s trying to help England win the war. Joe Alwyn is superb as 1st Baron Masham in Samuel Masham as a young baron who falls for Abigail though he’s hired by Harley to woo her as he is essentially a cuckold that is used by everyone. Nicholas Hoult is fantastic as the 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer in Robert Harley as a political figure and landowner who is opposed to the ideas that Sarah is trying to have to fund the war as he is someone that wants the war to end as he’s slimy and full of devilish charm.
Emma Stone is incredible as Abigail as a young woman who was once a lady and is forced to work as a servant where her knowledge of herbal medicine would help the ailing queen as she later becomes Sarah’s assistant and become a close confidant of the queen where she displays a dark demeanor who becomes enamored with the decadence of palace life. Rachel Weisz is phenomenal as the Duchess of Marlborough in Sarah Churchill who is the queen’s closest advisor and lover as she tries to handle the many things that queen needs to decide on as she is very protective of her while she becomes threatened by Abigail whom she’s forced to compete with as well as deal with the severity of Abigail’s own plotting. Finally, there’s Olivia Colman in a tremendous performance as Anne, Queen of Great Britain as a woman filled with self-doubt, grief, and insecurities that are key to her depression as someone that is needed and to be loved while trying to run a country unaware of what is really going on despite Sarah’s counseling where she turns to Abigail for comfort as she would unknowingly play into the chaos in her own palace as it’s a career-defining performance for Colman.
The Favourite is a spectacular film from Yorgos Lanthimos that features great performances from Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone. Along with its ensemble cast, its whimsical script, gorgeous look, intricate sound work, and its offbeat approach to music. It’s a period drama that doesn’t play by the rules while being a study of favoritism, grief, and power told in a strange love triangle between three women. In the end, The Favourite is a magnificent film from Yorgos Lanthimos.
Yorgos Lanthimos Films: (My Best Friend (2001 film)) – (Kinetta) – Dogtooth - (The Alps (2011 film)) – The Lobster - (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) - Poor Things - Kinds of Kindness - (Bugonia)
© thevoid99 2019
(Winner of the Palm Dog Jury Prize to Bob the Dog, Queer Palm Special Mention, and the Jury Prize at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival)
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou, The Lobster is the story of a man who arrives at a compound where he’s given forty-five days to find a new partner or else he turns into an animal. It’s a film that explores isolation and the need to find someone in a world that is almost dystopian where human beings are desperate to connect or else they get themselves into serious trouble. Starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux, Jessica Barden, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen, Ariane Labed, Angeliki Papoulia, and Michael Smiley. The Lobster is a whimsical and rapturous film from Yorgos Lanthimos.
Set in a futuristic dystopian world where a person has to have a partner as loneliness is forbidden, the film revolves around a man whose wife has left him for another man where he goes to a compound to find a new partner in 45 days or else he’s turned into an animal where he gets another chance to find a companion as that animal. It’s a film that plays into this absurdist dystopian world about the need to not be lonely as everyone has to be with someone and with a family in order for society to thrive or else they become animals or outcasts at worst. The film’s screenplay by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou is largely told from the perspective of an outsider who narrates the film as her identity isn’t revealed until the film’s second half as she tells the story of David (Colin Farrell) who would enter this idyllic compound that is like a resort of sorts for lonely people to get their chance to find a partner. In this hotel, he would befriend a man with a lisp named Robert (John C. Reilly) and a man with a limp named John (Ben Whishaw) who are also trying to seek partners in this offbeat hotel resort.
Among their activities in order to prolong their time search in finding a partner include hunting loners who refuse to play by society’s rules and if they manage to hunt these loners, they would be given additional days to find a partner. When one finds a partner, they’re moved into a different part of the hotel where they would get to know each other and would be given a child in case there’s an argument or something. Then they’re moved to a yacht to continue the courtship until they’re moved to the city to spend the rest of their lives. Yet, there is something off as masturbation is forbidden as sexual stimulation from a staff member is mandatory though clothes are kept on. For David, it’s something he has to accept as much of the action takes place in the first half until he tries to partner up with a cold-hearted woman (Angeliki Papoulia) that goes horribly wrong. The film’s second half is set in the forest where David becomes a loner and meets up with a loner faction that forbids romance from happening yet David ends up falling for a short-sighted woman (Rachel Weisz). Their relationship is kept secret yet it becomes harder when their leader (Lea Seydoux) becomes suspicious as David would realize that both the loner faction and those wanting to people to be partnered up have their flaws in their methods.
Lanthimos’ direction is intoxicating for not just capturing this element of dystopia as it is set in a modern world but also creating something that does feel offbeat and strange. Shot largely in Ireland with the city shot on location in Dublin, the film does play into this clash of ideals in two worlds where the city is where society thrives on couples being together to maintain this idyllic society. Lanthimos would use wide shots to capture the look of the city where it does look futuristic in some areas yet maintains something that does feel like it’s near the present while he would also shoot in these locations such as the fields, mountains, and lakes. The hotel/compound where David would stay nearby these natural surroundings do give the film this look that is like a paradise of sorts but there’s also something off in Lanthimos’ direction from the fact that those without partners live in modest though posh-like rooms while the couples would live in a more spacious room that has more perks.
Lanthimos’ approach to close-ups and medium shots play into how characters interact with one another in which there’s a sequence where John tries to win over the nosebleed woman (Jessica Barden) by claiming he also gets frequent nosebleeds. It’s among some of the film’s comical events along with the scene of the loners dancing to music on their headphones which goes to show both the world of the couples and the world of the loners are. Still, there is that element of how repressed this world can be in a scene where David, short-sighted woman, the loner leader, and an associate walk to the city as they pretend to be couples as everyone has to have papers to prove they’re a couple or else they get sent to the compound. Lanthimos showcase a world where both sides is cruel as David’s infatuation with the short-sighted women is out of pure love but that’s not what the loners want nor does the people at the hotel want as they care about survival of the fittest rather than living. Overall, Lanthimos crafts a riveting yet abstract film about an absurd dystopian world where humans must find a mate or else become an animal.
Cinematographer Thimios Bakatakis does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key lighting and slightly-yellow color for some of the interiors set at night to a somewhat greyish look for the daytime exterior scenes in the forest and at the city. Editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward in terms of its lack of style with some slow-motion sequences such as a few of the hunting scenes. Production designer Jacqueline Abrahams does amazing work with the look of the hotel in its rooms and various outside activities including its spa as well as the home of the loner leader’s parents. Costume designer Sarah Blenkinsop does fantastic work with the costumes from the clothes the people at the compound have to wear to the raincoats that the loners wear at the forests.
Hair designer Eileen Buggy and makeup designer Sharon Doyle do terrific work with the look of the characters as much of it is straightforward to play into the look of conformity to a more ragged look for the loners when they’re in the forest. Visual effects supervisors Pierre Buffin and Olivier Cauwet do wonderful work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to some of the animals that lurk around the forest and lakes. Sound designer/music composer Johnnie Burn does incredible work with the sound work in capturing the atmosphere of the locations and what goes on inside the hotels and cities while much of the music he creates is largely a low-key ambient score for a few scenes in the forest while music supervisor Amy Ashworth provides a music soundtrack that is a mixture of classical and contemporary music with contributions from Ludwig Van Beethoven, Igor Stravinsky, Richard Strauss, Benjamin Britten, Danai, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds with Kylie Minogue.
The casting by Jina Jay is tremendous as it features some notable small roles from Roger Ashton-Griffiths as an eye doctor for the short-sighted woman, Anthony Dougall as the 70-year old waiter at the hotel, Roland Ferrandi and Imelda Nagle Ryan as the loner leader’s parents, EmmaEdel O’Shea as the nosebleed woman’s best friend, Michael Smiley as the loner leader’s associate, Ashley Jensen as a woman who often carry biscuits at the compound, Ewen MacIntosh as a hotel guard, and Olivia Colman in a terrific performance as the hotel manager who spouts propaganda ideas of partnership yet forbids any idea of true happiness. Jessica Barden is fantastic as a young woman who has frequent nosebleeds as she tries to find a partner who would be her equal as well as handle her nosebleeds. Angeliki Papoulia is excellent as the heartless woman as someone who is a real cold-hearted bitch that doesn’t care if anyone gets hurt as well as being an able hunter who likes to hunt loners so she can extend her search for her equal.
Ariane Labed is brilliant as the hotel maid whose job is to dry-hump David as well as be someone to cater to everyone at the hotel yet also carries a secret about her role as it’s a great mixture of humor and restraint. Lea Seydoux is amazing as the loner leader as a woman who leads a faction of loners who believes that love only leads to trouble and that loneliness is the only way people can live despite her attachments to her parents whom she visits occasionally. John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw are great in their respective roles as Robert and John with the former suffering from a lisp as he has trouble connecting with the women and the latter having a limp as he would find a way to get the woman with the nosebleeds. Rachel Weisz is incredible as the short-sighted woman who is part of the loner faction as she falls for David as she realizes that everything that the loners stand for is false as she and David try to keep their relationship a secret. Finally, there’s Colin Farrell in a sensational performance as David as a man whose wife has left him as he joins the hotel compound to find a new partner as he’s accompanied by his dog Bob as he copes with the need to find a partner only for things to go wrong as it’s an offbeat performance from Farrell who provides a sense of restraint but also an sweet awkwardness to his performance.
The Lobster is a phenomenal film from Yorgos Lanthimos. Featuring a great ensemble cast, an offbeat premise, gorgeous visuals, and a hypnotic soundtrack. It’s a film that plays into the absurdity of people needing to connect without the chance to find themselves or someone that they can spend their life with as it is filled with humor and drama as it’s told in a very abstract and hilarious style. In the end, The Lobster is a tremendous film from Yorgos Lanthimos.
Yorgos Lanthimos Films: (My Best Friend (2001 film)) – (Kinetta) – Dogtooth - (Alps (2011 film)) – (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) – The Favourite - Poor Things - Kinds of Kindness - (Bugonia)
© thevoid99 2018
