And now for something completely different ... Writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos has constructed a haunting, odd and wholly original film about love and loneliness. Set in an unsettling alternate world, "The Lobster" explores this premise: what if singletons were given just 45 days to find a romantic partner, and, should they fail, they'd be turned into an animal of their choice? Colin Farrell restrains his extrovert instincts here as the deadpan David, who searches for his mate in a hotel full of unattached people. He and Rachel Weisz, as someone fighting the status quo, establish an idiosyncratic, riveting chemistry. Lanthimos — and his actors, who tend to speak with a flat affect — create an immersive film experience for viewers.