Lola Versus: Too Much Quirk, Not Enough Heart

Have you ever asked yourself, "I wonder how many ways Greta Gerwig can braid her hair?" Oddly enough, neither have I. But for some reason, the latest indie dramedy from Fox Searchlight, Lola Versus, sets out to explore this and quite frankly, it doesn't do much else. I mean, do we really need more films about lost, 20-something, wannabe bohemians? What else can this genre possibly have to offer us? For all you lost, 20-something, wannabe bohemians out there (and I say that as lovingly as possible), Lola Versus unfortunately won't answer any of your burning life questions.

Like I said, Lola Versus is your average indie flick about a 20-something gal named Lola (played by Greta Gerwig) trying to find her path in life and love after her fiance breaks off their engagement. This personal journey leads her down some troubling roads, but in the end, she is on the right track to happiness. While it takes the audience about fifteen minutes to figure out this right track, it takes Lola the entire movie. This makes for a pretty lousy time for everyone involved.

In other words, Lola Versus is unbearably cliche. You've got the quirky girl, her outrageous best friend, her goofy love interest, and her only-good-for-comedic-relief parents. And of course there is the scene with said quirky girl and said goofy love interest running around the city doing cutesy things that no one ever does in real life. None of this really accomplishes anything. It is too contrived and too obvious for any genuine emotion.

That being said, there were a few shining moments. Namely, the outrageous best friend, played by Zoe Lister Jones. She had some of the best lines in the film, and delivered them all with great timing. Her onscreen presence was a breath of fresh air. And while Lola was a rather one-dimensional character, Greta Gerwig plays her as best she can. Her decisions make Carrie Bradshaw look like a genius, but Gerwig still manages to garner some likeability out of the role. As an actress, she is tangible - cool enough, but not too cool. Her signature dry delivery is always something I enjoy.

While I understand what this movie was trying to accomplish, it ultimately fell flat. It wasn't cute enough, funny enough, or clever enough. It felt halfhearted throughout. Simply put, there are too many good, warm and fuzzy films in this genre to waste time on ones like the drab Lola Versus.