Review | Lola Versus (Blu-ray)

Jump to a section

Plot: What’s it about?Video: How does it look?Audio: How does it sound?Supplements: What are the extras?

Plot: What’s it about?

After an eight year courtship, Lola (Greta Gerwig) was just three weeks from the happiest day of her life, when her fiance walked out and left her behind. This emotional trauma sends her into a tailspin, as she struggles to make sense of her loss while forging ahead with the rest of her life. As she pursues her doctorate, Lola also attempts to find a new romance, though she winds up making more than her fair share of mistakes. This includes falling into bed with some questionable men as well as risking her long friendship with a close male companion. As she marches on, she gets advice from both her well meaning, but often misguided friends and parents, which tend to lead her into more mishaps. Lola even finds herself drawn back to her ex, all as she closes in on her dreaded thirtieth birthday. As her landmark celebration inches closer, can Lola start to sort out her life and find some direction, or will she only sink deeper into the chaos?

As much as this film wants to be a fresh, unique spin on the romantic comedy, Lola Versus tends to fall into most of the same cliches as most others in the genre. I expected some unique characters and grounded, relatable situations, but instead the film is packed with interchangeable characters and meet-cute moments. This is a shame, as lead Greta Gerwig puts her best foot forward to be a relatable character, only to have the script drop the ball. Her performance is quite good, but we’re left wanting to see her get slapped more than find love. Lola Versus isn’t a bad movie however, it has some bright spots, but it just doesn’t do enough to stand out from the tidal wave of other romantic comedies. So if you want a creative take on the genre, you won’t find it here, but if you just love the genre in general, you’ll have fun with this one.

Video: How does it look?

Lola Versus is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. This transfer looks excellent in all aspects. The image is clean and shows terrific depth, even in longer shots. This produces detail that sparkles, with the kind of subtle, fine detail we’ve come to expect from HD presentations. I found colors to be bright and natural as well, while contrast is smooth and consistent. All in all, a great visual effort from top to bottom.

Audio: How does it sound?

The DTS HD 5.1 soundtrack is rock solid, but doesn’t have a lot of kick. The surrounds are used for the music and not much else, so there isn’t a lot of power on showcase. The main element is dialogue and since it sounds crystal clear, I see no reason to complain. The nature of the material doesn’t demand much outside of the basics, so while the track isn’t memorable, it gets the job done. This disc also includes Spanish and French language tracks, as well as English and Spanish subtitles.