372. Lola (1961)

Directed By Jacques Demy

Synopsis

Lola is a dancer, she awaits the return of her son's father, who left 7 years ago to seek his fortune. Meanwhile her childhood friend loses his job and is contracted to carry a briefcase to Johannesburg, but he finds Lola and decides to put it off because he loves her, she doesn't love him so he decides to leave. Her son's father returns.

Review

You can't tell much about the film from this synopsis, you can't particularly tell how delightful the whole thing is. Demy is attempting to create a musical with no musical numbers here, and despite a musical moment he manages to do it beautifully.

The dialogue has that lightness of touch so common to French cinema of the pre-Nouvelle Vague age. The characters, no matter how secondary, intertwine their plots and lives through the story in a way that is both spectacular and very funny.

The film ends up not being a comedy but being comedic all the same in the way the tropes of musical cinema are used in a serious context, the way characters parallel each other and in the simple events and references of the film. The acting is good but better still is the camera work and cinematography in a clear tribute to Max Ophuls. Another great film.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The film was restored and re-released by Demy's widow, French filmmaker Agnès Varda.

The whole film is online here.

Trailer: