The Lobster (2015)

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou
Starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Léa Seydoux and John C. Reilly

In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into the woods.

If there was an academy award category for weirdest movie of the year, I can't think of any other movie that would top this one. Despite taking place in a rather unbelievable world, there is something rather familiar in the way characters interact with each other, all struggling to find love. The only difference is that the stakes are much higher in this universe.

In a way, it is an extreme exaggeration of how society views single people. Viewed as outcasts, citizens without partners are banished from the rest of the world and forced to find love within a tight timeline. The pressures of having "a normal life" are magnified tenfold when the threat of becoming an animal are thrown into play.

On the other end of the spectrum, when in a group of loners, the same prejudices are projected onto the idea of love and intimacy and any displays of such are punished just as harshly. It is a complex world in which there is little hope for happiness.

For such a random and uncomfortable film, it had a surprising amount to say about societies views on how others live their lives. This is for certain, not a film for everyone. It is aggressively outlandish and is performed as if it took place on another planet. But under that veil of deceit is an incredibly human story.

My Rating: 8/10

#DrunksLikeUs (2014)

Directed by David Simpson
Written by Paul Mackie
Starring Luke Griffin, Andrew Regan and Paul Mackie

When Mark's Facebook friend goes missing, he and his two friends go on a rescue mission to find her.

This crude, alcohol fueled, yet somehow charming indie comedy about three friends on an inebriated adventure is the very definition of "independent". It got it's legs after writer, Paul Mackie tweeted out the script and got a following for the project. 

From there, cast and crew members were attached to the script completely through social media. It is the first of what I suspect many films to be independently made by creative people coming together via the internet to do what they love. It is truly a beautiful notion that we live in a world where this can happen.

The writing in this British comedy reminds me of Quentin Tarantino's writing. Filled with fast-paced dialogue that, regardless of it's lack of relevance towards the movement of the plot, is swift and flows naturally. 

Particularly in the opening scene in which they talk about the economy, I was reminded of the first scene in "Reservoir Dogs", in which Mr. Brown talks about Madonna's "Like a Virgin". It had nothing to do with the actual plot, but it provided a realism and character development that is often lost in modern films.

Along with the writing, the performances by the three main actors is impressive. The fast-paced, continuous nature of the dialogue is not an easy thing to pull off, and these three guys nail it. The chemistry between them is undoubted and it is believable that they have been friends for years.

Really, the majority of the problems with this film were budget related. But what the filmmakers were trying to accomplish was clear and given a bigger budget may have disappeared completely. The ambition of everyone involved is the most important thing when it comes to Indies. At least in my mind. And there was plenty of passion behind this project.

As of now, I don't believe "#DrunksLikeUs" is available for public viewing. Once I find out more details, I will let you all know so we can support Independent Filmmakers.

My Rating: 6/10