They seem to be two tortured souls in a jinxed relationship. A few days after his talk with Hazel, he takes Lola to visit the winery, and she is elated to finally return to what she loves doing the most. Matthew Ross's Frank & Lola is about an adult male grappling with the mind-blowing revelation that his girlfriend had a sexual life before him. By this time, Frank is so schizophrenic he no longer knows truth from fantasy. Based off the life we see him take, his enjoyment doesnt necessarily come from people. Lola gives up on her dream of working with Hazel and gifts her a wine bottle with Sybyllas sketch as a farewell present before leaving. When he does, however, Alan, a suave fellow who has an open marriage with his rich wife Claire (Emmanuelle Devos), offers an alternative account that suggests Lola has been deceiving him. His obsessive personality gives way to a dangerous masculinity, one that cannot seem to focus on the plight of his lover, but rather is aimed at the only thing it sees forward: revenge. The supporting cast is filled with ace character actors and rising stars, including Justin Long as a smarmy younger man who says he wants to help Lola with her fashion career and makes that seem like a euphemism. The biggest point of Lolas story, albeit told at times through the lens of Frank and his experience, is that this struggle is her struggle; its her pain. One night, she confesses she's been raped. He puts a letter through Alan's door pretending to be Lola and asking him to meet her in the hotel's closed restaurant, which is actually Frank's new restaurant. While this may sound all too grim for a cinematic representation of romance, Frank & Lola is nothing if not incredibly realistic in the way it captures the exciting and oftentimes consuming state of being in love. The caveman side of masculinity comes between Frank and his better interests. The next morning, Frank deduces that the unknown man Lola had slept with was Alan, and asks Lola to tell him the truth about her affair with him. Frank ( Michael Shannon) and Lola (Imogen Poots) are fumbling around the fringes of a relationship, two self-diagnosed fuck-ups who wrestle with the fear that they're wounds run too deep to be. The film begins with Saul Bass-influenced opening credits and a pulpy score by John Williams. with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. Frank & Lola can squarely be put into the category of a sub-genre of film which could only be called modern noir, which retains the features of the dark style of filmmaking from the 40s, but takes them beyond the trappings of the way neo-noir paid tribute in the 80s and 90s. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find something interesting to read. Heartbroken at his lack of effort, Lola sadly bids goodbye to her friends and returns to Los Angeles. B-, Credit: Eric Koretz; Paladin; Courtesy Everett Collection. The problem is that, despite being played by two charismatic and more-than-capable actors, the title characters never click in the way they need to. But when he musters the courage and reveals his true identity to her the next morning, she is dismayed at his lies. One night, she confesses shes been raped by an old French lover named Alan (Michael Nyqvist) she knew during her student days in Paris. This sweet gesture brings them closer to each other, and they share a passionate kiss under the stars. And Poots emits precisely this aura of remote privilege against which Shannon is usually used as a tonal counterbalance, only without the superstardom to fulfill it, which might explain why she so rarely connects with her co-stars or the audience. Except things arent as clear-cut Lola led him to believe. A young girl falls for an older man, a stable human, and she tries to adapt to such a life after living with instability for years. Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Jurassic Park Movies Ranked By Tomatometer, The 5 Most Anticipated Movies of March 2023, The Mandalorian Creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni on Grogus Force Training and the Darksabers Significance. [5] In July 2015, the Sundance Institute selected Frank & Lola and director Matthew Ross to take part in its Feature Film Program's annual Music and Sound Design Labs at George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch. After a meeting with the restauranter in Paris, he visits Claire who confirms Lola's side of things. Poots makes nearly as strong an impression, but unfortunately this is not her movie. The two immediately strike sparks and become a couple. [12] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a score of 56 out of 100, based on reviews from 18 critics. The films heightened look is incredibly polished by indie film standards, making the proceedings come off as somewhat perversely magical, which is wonderfully at odds with the intensity of the plot. The money is for his gangster boss, who is certain to kill Manni if he doesn't receive it. [6] Frank & Lola was one of two completed featured films selected out the Lab's eight total projects. Frank becomes obsessed with exacting revenge on Alan, and begins finding out details about him online. We get it: you like to have control of your own internet experience. As it happens, that suits Frank perfectly, since hes just learned that Lola was once raped by Alan (Michael Nyqvist), the lustful and wealthy one-time boyfriend of her freewheeling mother Patricia (Rosanna Arquette). Thats a perfect fit for Shannon, who is able with near-minimalist gestures to convey the inner distress of a man obsessed with a woman and bent on sweeping away all doubt about her fidelity. His general surliness turns into something more sinister when he sees Lola talking at a bar with Keith (Justin Long), a gregarious young businessman. Catch Me If You Can Plot Synopsis. But its Shannon whose wildcard intensity turns Frank & Lola into something more than the scripts collection of hardboiled implausibilities. Ross complicates matters a bit with noir tropes (an illicit video, a mystery man, a club orgy thats meant to be the height of decadence), but the film is rooted unquestioningly in masculine propriety. His suspicions grow darker when Keith finds a position for Lola at a posh boutique. Though she is the best at her job, her boss Calder mistreats her and refuses to acknowledge her hard work. Desperate to convince Hazel, she agrees to work as a temporary jillaroo (ranch hand) under Max at the farm, to prove her mettle. A seductive and intense noir romance for our times, FRANK & LOLA is the story of two people locked in a battle of passion and obsession. Drinking alone in a bar, he sees a man abusing his girlfriend. This is nuts considering how crazy they both are, but Ross makes it workOne thing that's significant about Frank & Lola is that it's a legitimately serious film about sex, something that's increasingly rare these daysRoss has a really sharp eye, with it having a rich, sophisticated look that gives the film studio-level production values. What I loved about this movie the about was Poots and Shannons chemistry. Over the course of the film, directed and written by Frank . This movie casts a troubling spell.[16], In Consequence of Sound, Michael Roffman wrote: Part drama, part psychosexual thriller, part revenge fantasy, Michael Shannon's latest platform balls up the dark mystery of Polanski, the vivid passion of De Palma, and the razor tension of Hitchcock for a savvy and meticulous 90 minsFrank & Lola is an electric modern noir that thrives from indelible characters and a palatable style. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Not Rated. Written (in German, with English subtitles) and directed by Tom Tykwer; director of photography, Frank Griebe; edited by Mathilde Bonnefoy; music by Tykwer, Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil; set designer, Alexander Manasse; produced by Stefan Arndt; released by Sony Pictures Classics. He's an alluring and dangerous lead, perfectly paired with Poots, who more than holds her own to finally deliver on all the promise she's shown in films less worthy of her talents.[14], Indiewire's Rodrigo Perez reviewed the film, writing, There's a bewitching and intensely intoxicating quality to the opening act of Frank & Lola, a seductive, romantic noir turned psychosexual drama from assured first-time feature director Matthew RossRoss is a major talent worth watching. As a result, the film exists as an unwavering character piece about a pair of lovers whose complex relationship with love will almost certainly be their undoing. Feeling inspired, Lola sets out to perfect her jillaroo duties and not just becomes efficient in her work, but also wins over the other farmworkers. Tap "Sign me up" below to receive our weekly newsletter Featuring shades of Bret Easton Ellis, Charles Bukowski, and Raymond Carver, Frank & Lola proves an enthralling and intoxicating love story from its upfront beginning to and ending which proves a mix of melancholy and hope. Theyre characters who exist only in cinema, working glamorous jobs that require them to occupy atmospheric sets in repose, looking commanding and sexy. By Manohla Dargis. Nyqvist (so good in the Swedish Dragon Tattoo films) and Emmanuelle Devos (unforgettable in Read My Lips and Kings & Queen) are deliciously sordid as a kinky European couple with a lax attitude about fidelity. After Alan shows him a video of Lola in bed with another woman, Frank switches prey and follows the woman in the video. A young daughter, a higher pupil at the time, named Lola meets this . Cinemark But we're still left with the nagging feeling that debut writer/director Matthew Ross and his cast never quite got a handle on what draws these two to each other, what would make Lola disclose that devastating story to Frank after years of telling no one (including family), and what demons would compel Frank to fly across the Atlantic and come on like Charles Bronson in khakis. As Lola pushes through each day to do her best, her confidence starts depleting gradually. A chicken dinner. Frank and Lola may not have the complexity of plot and sense of inevitable doom that marked much of the work of a noir master like Jim Thompson, but it offers the same sort of bleak character study that he specialized in. Overview. 2023 Film Inquiry. Their honeymoon is endangered, however, by Frank's jealousy. His dark side flashes a bit more often, but before Lola ever comes clean, we realize there is unhappiness in her past. A Perfect Pairing is a humorous romantic comedy movie on Netflix. Rest assured, our passports are ready.[17], The Film Stage's Ed Frankel: "Frank & Lola, a noirish erotic thriller from journalist-turned-director Matthew Ross, finds leads Michael Shannon and Imogen Poots in top form. Did I enjoy the performances of this picture show? The brain tin can easily express thoughts and feelings, just sometimes it is difficult to explain its actions. A few months later, she establishes her company Salud Imports and starts gaining the trust of patrons. A love-sick guy who allows himself to fall for the wrong girl and then gets led down a morally rocky path toward oblivion. Lola Alvarez is a talented sommelier who works as a wine executive for Mythos, a wine importing company. Its also the complete and total opposite of what Frank & Lola really is. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. Alan lives in Paris, and Frank plans to use the trip to confront him. The neon-lit skyline of Las Vegas can be seen out the window. Frank has to find some way to discover where the truth lies, and whether his relationship with Lola can be saved. For one thing, Nobody knows how to eat anymoreall they want is gluten-free salads. Then theres the problem of Lola herself, an enigmatic slut with a past so dark and promiscuous that Frank is understandably suspicious. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. And for a split second, you almost allow yourself to think how nice it is to finally see this actor more often than not cast as menacing heavies and squinty creeps playing a romantic lead. Berlinale 2023 Highlights, Part Two: Reality, Manodrome, The Adults, Inside, Golda, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson Feted at SBIFF 2023, Revisiting Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Tragically Common: Jamie Dack, Lily McInerny and Jonathan Tucker on Palm Trees and Power Lines. Back at Waratah Station, Lola goes for a night out with her new friends at the local pub, but they end up getting into a hilarious bar fight, only to be rescued by Max later. The female in this film, as in too many genre movies, is just the girl, who alternates on cue between manipulative tramp and heartbroken virgin. Amazed at how much he knows about her and the Vaughns, Lola asks him about his past, but he strangely evades her questions and just shares how he was a rather rebellious youth who mended his ways after his mothers death. Hes a classic film-noir sap like Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Just what well-nigh the head? Unavailable on an ad-supported plan due to licensing restrictions. It turns out theres no rest for the wicked. graduate with a concentration in pre-19th. Further than that, he offers an antithesis to the rape-revenge sub-genre, all too often adopted as of late by many horror movies. But during one of her wine tasting events, Max suddenly turns up and apologizes for his past behavior. Claire offered her a $400,000 check if Lola were to get an abortion and leave Paris, which she reluctantly agreed to, and moved to Las Vegas, where she then met Frank. After the trial, Bonnie is standing next to Annalise and is the first to notice Frank was heading towards the Governor. TURN EVERY PAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERT CARO AND ROBERT GOTTLIEB. Lola is unsure, but Frank asks her to think about it while he goes upstairs to get changed. In the meantime, he and Hazel converse, and it is shockingly revealed that they are siblings. A former film journalist, Ross made a number of acclaimed shorts including Lola and Inspired by Bret Easton Ellis, but makes a striking debut with this feature.[22] Additionally, The Film Stage named Frank & Lola as one of 15 best films of the festival,[23] and Ioncinema included Ross on its list "Top 10 New Voices" at Sundance 2016. Together, Frank and Lola build an intense relationship that saves them from their mutual despair. Brewer stars as Alice, an ambitious young cam girl who performs under the name Lola on the site FreeGirls.Live, where she embraces her unconventional creative vision to climb the ranks and earn a . None of it makes any sense, and if you think you know how it ends when it fades to black, do send me a postcard. They dont hit you hard emotionally, these arent the get-to characters for when you praise these actors or when you have a need to defend them. Mystery & thriller, The mystery usually associated with the genre grows, but once the plot reveals itself more evidently,Ross film starts to feel more like a look at a complicated romance. Thus, Lola decides to take matters into her own hands and flies to Waratah Station, Hazels family sheep farm in Australia where she is holidaying. For far too long now, both Shannon and Poots have remained on the sidelines of other films, stealing scenes in spectacular ways. Perspective finally begins to bleed into the film, then, but its too little, too late. Shannon and Poots star as the titular couple here. Is Waratah Station a Real Sheep Ranch. Lets find the answers to these questions as well as more about the touching ending of A Perfect Pairing. SPOILERS AHEAD. Lola soon finds out that farm life is not as easy as she thought, and struggles to learn the chores and fit in with her fellow ranch hands Sam, Breeze, and Kylie. One which is on the up and up thanks to her ability to socialize, simply it hasnt been all daisies and macaroons. The love story between the two main characters drives so much of the films intentions, as they work to stay together even after so much hurt. Alan then shows Frank a sex tape with Lola and another woman, that shows Lola taking sexual orders from Alan. Still, Lola is the centre of this films universe. and the 1 perhaps hard to deal with, or fifty-fifty recognize, for now, he has to arrange his life to accommodate this young girl who he loves merely brings up all these insecurities. "Frank and Lola" starts right in the middle of a frank sex scene between its leads, the fortysomething chef Frank (Michael Shannon) and the recent college graduate and would-be fashion designer Lola (Imogen Poots), and it continues in that vein, dropping us into the middle of moments, relationships and predicaments and expecting us to find our way through them. Slowly, both women manage to score a few patrons for Salud Imports and start attending events. Instead, the film just quietly jumps right into its characters lives in an extremely refreshing way. As we all know, Hollywood is a superficial industry and a cute face and existence likable on set up can keep a adult female working for a hell of a long fourth dimension. 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