Lola (1961)

Director: Jacques Demy
Stars: Anouk Aimée, Marc Michel, Jacques Harden
Runtime: 90 minutes

Synopsis: A bored young man meets with his former girlfriend, now a cabaret dancer and single mother, and soon finds himself falling back in love with her.

Verdict: My life has significantly improved ever since I discovered Jacques Demy’s enchanting work. From Cherbourg to Rochefort, he invited me into a world where music reigns supreme, a world where reality and dream are one and the same. His directorial debut “Lola” may not be a musical, but Michel Legrand’s symphonic score makes it seem like one. His timeless composition that combines original symphonies and existing ones added color to the black and white classic, a well-needed attribute for a film that relies on a lyrically romantic atmosphere to drive its plot forward.

The plot itself is a rather simple one. It follows the single-mother and dancer Lola’s (Anouk Aimée) interactions with a couple of men who are not hiding their feelings for her. Frankie (Alan Scott) is an American sailor who met her on a night out and immediately fell for her charm while Roland (Marc Michel, who you may remember from “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”) is a former boyfriend of hers who reentered her life when they randomly bumped into each other. All the characters are interconnected in some way, which is Demy’s way of integrating fate into the narrative, adding to the romanticism it englobes. It’s clear to him that one of love’s main ingredients is destiny, and he effortlessly captures that aspect in a way that doesn’t remotely feel forced or lazy.

Aside from a very questionable relationship that didn’t really add much to the core conflict in the movie, I absolutely loved “Lola”. It’s the type of movie that’ll make you want to fall in love despite knowing that it doesn’t always end happily ever after. “Lola” is not a fairytale, but it feels like one in so many ways. It’s an absolutely remarkable watch.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10