Lola

Jacques Demy’s debut, Lola follows Anouk Aimée’s title character as she attempts to juggle relationships/friendships with two very different men – while also awaiting the return of her long-absent former lover (and father of her young son). Filmmaker Demy delivers a predictably deliberate drama that does, at least, benefit from several solid performances and an ongoing emphasis on stylish visuals (eg a short yet hypnotic slow-motion sequence), and it’s clear, too, that Lola‘s emphasis on multiple storylines goes a long way towards keeping things interesting (although it’s equally apparent that certain subplots and characters fare better than others). There’s little doubt, unfortunately, that Demy’s decidedly meandering approach to his own screenplay paves the way for a hit-and-miss midsection that is, increasingly, more miss than hit, which ensures that one’s interest dwindles considerably in the build up to the picture’s decent (yet entirely unspectacular) closing stretch – with the end result an almost passable first feature that probably would’ve worked better at half the length.

** out of ****