Critic's Grade: C

The Lobster is one of those dystopian sci-fi movies that needs to spend the first 30 minutes laying down the ground rules of the setting. David (Colin Farrell) is single, which is outlawed, so he goes to a singles retreat. But there is one catch: If you don't find a mate within 60 days, you will be turned into an animal. On the plus side, you get to pick your animal. David chooses the lobster. Interesting concept, but this vision of the future mostly involves Farrell, John C. Reilly, Rachel Weisz and the rest of cast lurching through their lines in a dull, passionless monotone. When this Greco-Irish feature screened at the Portland International Film Festival in February, it had more star power than almost anything on the roster. Now, it's Colin Farrell as a lobster.

Rated R.