Movie Review - Lola Versus

"Chapter 5- Silence: Vocal Minorities and the Spiral of Isolation"

 

 

 

I know that changing is inevitable, but,
what if I don't want things to change?
What if I like my life, exactly how it is?
- Lola

 

Lola's mom: Hey
Lola: Hi mom
Lola's mom: How you doin' sweetie? You okay?
Lola: I am choosing to be alive.

 

Right time. Wrong people.
- Lola's dad

 

I wish I could say that this was someone elses fault.
That it was Luke's fault, or Henry's fault, or Alice's.
But it's not, it's me.
- Lola

 

These were some of my favorite quotes from the film, 'Lola Versus'.

 

I hired it from the video store two nights ago after reading the back of it and cocking one eyebrow up as I found an eerie relation to my life at the present point with it.

 

It turned out to be exactly what I needed to watch.

 

It's a very off-beat, dry comedy / romance about a woman in her 29th year of life, called Lola.

It starts off with her in a relationship with what we would all describe to be a pretty perfect guy.

They were best friends. He cooked. You could watch their happiness almost seep through the television screen. No exaggeration. Watch it.

 

And so... he asked her to marry him.

 

Three weeks before their wedding - he got cold feet and ended the relationship.

 

They had one very close, mutual male friend called Henry. He was Lola's best friend. Lola also had an absolutely hilarious female friend who was a performer.

 

She enlists her closest friends into a series of adventures as she starts to accept the break-up and starts to finally come to terms with being alone for the first time.

 

Preeeeetty similar to my life right now... Obviously, Lola's ego is bruised and she starts to muck her friendships up really badly. She starts becoming neurotic and emotional and drastically uneasy. She basically loses everyone for a while and at this point I was literally in tears because it really hit home.

 

I've lost some really great people because of how I handled my break-up. People I thought would be friends for life. People I'd practically become family with; and no matter what way I look at it, I still keep messing things up in my life.

I'm overly sensitive although I put on this massive wall so everyone thinks I'm fine. I'm overly honest, I have no filter right now which has made me put my foot in it in a couple of situations I really could have handled better had I not been so hot-headed and my ego is shot.

 

I related to this film so much - she is so so so much like me it's actually ridiculous. From little things like how she tries to clear her mind and do yoga yet she just peaks an eye open and looks around the room, fidgeting. She's silly and funny and has so much potential but is a complete emotional wreck. She's got ambition and courage and she's just a complete free-spirit as am I.

 

To those of you who have contacted me recently with similar stories - those of you going through breakups and heartache or are simply just trying to find yourself... give this a watch.

 

My heartbreak has passed - but now that we've given each other space and time, a complete break . . .  the anger has subsided and I'm starting to remember the good memories we once had that I'd forgotten about.

I was so angry that I never gave myself a chance to grieve over the diminished two year relationship.

Remembering the good times is nice - but it also hurts. I know we're done. I know we are never getting back together but I miss the days that he would support me in every decision I made and accepted me for the complete misguided, wondering free-spirit that I am. I miss how we'd play... we never really spoke much at all. We were always terrible at communicating with each other and that's one of the many reasons why it came to an end. But we'd tickle and wrestle and cook and explore... it really is losing your best friend. And I seem to have lost a few others to go with it.

 

That is why I need to get away. I need this London trip and Europe tour coming up in just over forty days so badly.

 

I need to go somewhere where no one knows my name.