For as much guff as the second season of True Detective got, I think most people would admit that one of the brighter spots was Colin Farrell’s performance. I’ve never been too passionate one way or the other about Farrell, but his turn as Ray Velcoro made me sway to the positive when it comes to the former Bullseye.
Now I have yet another reason to keep an eye on him. He’s starring in The Lobster, the new film from Dogtooth director Yorgos Lanthimos (who I swear is not a rejected Dungeons & Dragons character name), and it looks eerily made for my kind of sensibilities. The premise is a science fiction one: in the future, it is mandatory for people to be in a relationship. If they are not, they are taken to a facility with other single people and are given forty-five days to procure a mate. After those forty-five days are up, they are transformed into an animal of their choosing.
Not only does this sound wickedly satirical towards societal standards, but as an aggressively single male I can fully relate to the crushing awkwardness that envelopes every attempt one makes at finding someone to love. From this trailer, it looks like there will be plenty of that to go around. Plus, Farrell looks to be entering into a very different performance than what we’re used to with him, and I like how mousy and pathetic he’s coming across. It doesn’t hurt that the movie seems to have a wonderfully dry sense of humor.
The Lobster lands on October 16 in the UK. There’s no US date set at this point.
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