Review of Lola Versus (2012) by The Movie W — 03 Sep 2012

Hanging around in supporting roles for a while now, Gerwig has proven to be a likable presence. Her first lead role shows just how charismatic she is as few actresses could make such a self-involved character anything but repugnant.

The movie is full of the usual indie cliches, the kooky friend, the whacky liberal parents, the artistic nice guy and the hunky bad boy. The irony is that Kinnaman is portrayed as the villain of the piece yet comes across as the only remotely down to earth character. He has a maturity and a self-realization that none of the others possess. Despite being on the brink of their thirties, they treat life as if they are still in their teens. The whole thing reminds me of that nineties TV show "Felicity". Gerwig and her irritatingly quirky best friend Jones seem to think the world revolves around their orgasms, or lack of.

I suspect female viewers will find it hard to sympathize with Lola. After all she's an attractive and seemingly financially stable young woman who gets hit on by men on a regular basis. It's a bit like a female variation on "The Brothers MacMullen", a movie where three hunky brothers faced the earth-shattering dilemma of which of their various hot girlfriends to stick with.

There are times you'll just want to give Lola a good shaking. At one point she agrees to have dinner with a guy who is clearly a couple of futons short of a Greenwich loft. She then unbelievably allows him to penetrate her without a condom. Maybe Julian Assange was a technical advisor? Lola is an idiot who gets everything she deserves and a terrible role model for young women. The movie should be retitled "Lola Versus the Audience".