Lola Versus

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Indie ingénue Greta Gerwig stars as Lola, a New Yorker on the verge of 30 who finds herself abruptly dumped mere weeks before her long-anticipated wedding. Single for the first time in eight years, Lola attempts to rebuild with the help of her friends, sweet and supportive Henry (Hamish Linklater) and no-nonsense chatterbox Alice (co-screenwriter Zoe Lister-Jones), only to find that suddenly navigating the unfriendly waters of dating and relationships makes letting go and moving on much more easily said than done.

Breakout filmmaking duo Lister-Jones and Daryl Wein (of 2009’s Breaking Upwards) infuse this post-breakup spiral story with humor and authenticity, as Lola’s missteps accrue and her life begins to fray. Demonstrating how even the best intentions can backfire, likeable and quirky Lola is a sympathetic anchor even as she wreaks unintended emotional havoc on her nearest and dearest (including Debra Winger and Bill Pullman as her parents). Ultimately Lola Versus is a film about moving forward, but as anyone who has been through a rough breakup can attest, sometimes moving on means hitting rock bottom first. –Tribeca Film Festival

msmichel

19Apr13

Gerwig goes through the motions here but this film just rings one false note after another. Not the fault of the performers but the twee script and weak direction and pacing. Zoe Lister-Jones great as the acerbic but stereotypical best friend and Hamish Linklater good in the same role he plays in every single film he's featured in. Not as bad as some of the comments would lead one to believe but not worth defending.