For the most part, “Lola Versus” plays the standard elements of a Romantic Comedy by the numbers. You have your Quirky Girl looking for love, the Heartbreaking Boyfriend, the “Is He Really the One?” Guy and the Even Quirkier Best Friend who runs around the movie saying just the funniest things.
What saves the film from becoming the normal pap is that each of these roles are embodied by interesting, fresh faces who breathes some life into their characters. “Lola Versus” was co-written by the woman taking on the Even Quirkier Best Friend role, Zoe Lister Jones, and she provides plenty of micro rants to keep things alive. The real reason to watch here is Lola herself, Greta Gerwig, who is one of Hollywood’s current It List ladies. She is gleaming presence whose interesting delivery allows “Lola Versus” to become something better than just a Hipster variation of “Sex in the City”.
It is in New York City where we meet Lola who has just turned 29 and is beginning the next phase (The Grown Up Phase) in life. Her handsome and sensitive boyfriend Luke (Joel Kinnaman) has purposed. Wedding dresses, dinner menu planning and expensive flower purchases follow. Lola is floating as she totes her two best friends, Alice (Lister Jones) and Henry (Hamish Linklater), around the city as an excited bride-to-be. Then Luke pulls out. Conflict. And Lola must pick up the shattered remains.
Does she date Henry? They are a perfect match. Or does she go for Nick (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the soft spoken idiot with the huge penis? Maybe that penis is too huge. Then, of course, Luke may come crawling back and blah and blah. The real question is will Alice ever shut up?
Like I said, standard Rom-Com action but it is interesting enough to keep you watching and laughing. “Lola Versus” does run out of steam before the end credits but the wrap up is nice with a new angle to who we are meant to be with sometimes in life. The film is sprinkled with jabs at the Eat Local/Sustainable sources/New Hippie-Hipster lifestyle that make it feel modern. Actually I don’t know if they are abdicating or praising this way of life but I do know I laughed when Nick asked Lola if her salmon was wild caught. Don’t worry about my fish, Nick.
One quick side notes. The DVD cover boasts “From the Studio that brought you “500 Days of Summer” comes…. What the hell does that have to do with anything? Every time Paramount releases a movie, why don’t they tagline “From the studio that brought you “The Godfather”? Might as well.
Skimpy SPECIAL FEATURES:
– Outtakes
– Commentary with filmmakers Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones
– Theatrical trailer
Genre: Comedy
Budget: ???
Gross: $253 thousand
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Directed by: Daryl Wein
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Zoe Lister Jones, Hamish Linklater