THE LOBSTER

THE LOBSTER is undoubtedly one of the most highly anticipated movies for me this year. The king of the Greek Weird Wave (Dogtooth, Alps and Kinetta) is back and with a vengeance. Lanthimos has upped his game, with his first English language production and an all-star international cast, and he brings us a dark and absurd tale about our quest for love and togetherness. 

In a dystopian world all single people are arrested and put in a hotel where they are given 45 days to find love or they will be turned into a wild animal of their choosing. 

For all the beautiful people living in Brussels the film is finally released tomorrow! An I really can't wait to watch it.

From the trailer and things I have read or seen so far I get the impression that we will once again be transported into an absurd, violent, subversive world that is deeply moving without relying on any of the emotional peaks or dramatic conventions that most films employ. 

What struck me when watching the Press Conference of the movie at the Cannes Film festival, where it was awarded the Jury Prize,  was that none of the actors seemed to really know what the movie is about. There appears to be no clear message that Lanthimos wants to hammer out. Lanthimos seems to hypnotize both actors and audience alike into his universe where all thoughts and actions are conducted in a realistic and somewhat mechanical manner. 

Though Lanthimos is much funnier and includes a strong element of satire in his movies, he often makes me think of Michael Haneke who I had the pleasure and honour of meeting last week at BOZAR. Haneke's movies tend to illicit a very strong emotional reaction from their audience through a cinematography and storytelling that is very cold, calculated and meticulous. They include a horror and violence that touches us in a profound manner and on a moral level by indicating that we are all capable of everything whilst we constantly balance between nothingness and the divine. Haneke stated that he tries to be as realistic as possible "because if the audience becomes aware of the fact that I want to manipulate them, they just won't let me do it." Similarly Lanthimos's universe is based on basically zero technical help or special effects (apparently barely any artificial lighting was used during filming) but relies entirely on Lanthimos's imagination.  The interactions between the actors are very childlike and innocent in a wickedly funny and sinister environment since the film has a very oppressive quality, present in many of Haneke's movies as well,  that makes you feel that something terrible is about to happen at any moment.

Placed in this dilemma of being confined in a hotel, that feels like a prison, and forced to find love in 45 days or being a loner that has given up on love and is rebelling in the woods what would you choose?

Alternatively you can also take this quizz to find out which animal you would be if your 45 came to an end and a partner was nowhere in sight...MEOW, guess what I would be!

And since we are talking about the king of the Greek Wierd Wave some Greek New Wave provides the ideal soundtrack

 With the master

And regarding Greek music, the cover band from the new Gucci campaign is also from Greeceland! These are the most beautiful clothes I have seen for 2016 from a brand I had forgottern existed! I'm seriously impressed by Alessandro Michele! Enjoy!