Overview
A poignant tale of love and longing unfolds in a seaside town, where dreams and reality collide.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- wistful
- poetic
- intimate
- quiet evening
- arthouse movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly admire the film's tender, unusual blend of French New Wave spontaneity, classical romantic styling, and emotional feeling, while finding its many strands somewhat uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lola, Roland, Madame Desnoyers, and others repeatedly cross paths while their desires point in different directions.
Demy combines ordinary provincial life, cabaret performance, coincidence, and romantic longing into a softly stylized world.
Lola's devotion to Michel and the expectation of his return shape her emotional life and her relationship with Roland.
The film is identified with Demy's New Wave-cum-classical style and its influence on later romantic city films.
Films like Lola, and why
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
French New Wave romance with chance encounters, emotional misalignment, and wistful urban melancholy
Cléo from 5 to 7
Poetic romantic drama shaped by missed connections, restless young adults, and stylized black-and-white realism
Chungking Express
Interwoven romantic longing, coincidence, and bittersweet emotional drift in a modern city
Jules and Jim
Elegant French romance centered on desire, absence, and uncertain emotional choices
Movie Details
- Director
- Jacques Demy
- Release Date
- 1961-03-03
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (308)
Cast
- Anouk Aimée
- Marc Michel
- Jacques Harden
- Alan Scott
- Élina Labourdette
- Margo Lion
- Annie Duperoux
- Catherine Lutz
- Corinne Marchand
- Yvette Anziani
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lola about?
- A cabaret dancer, an aimless former lover, and a circle of lonely dreamers navigate desire, parenthood, and chance encounters in Nantes.
- What is Lola like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lola as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lola violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Lola.
- What did critics think of Lola?
- Critics broadly admire the film's tender, unusual blend of French New Wave spontaneity, classical romantic styling, and emotional feeling, while finding its many strands somewhat uneven.
- Which films are like Lola?
- Films with a similar feel include The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Cléo from 5 to 7, Chungking Express, and Jules and Jim.
- How long is Lola?
- Lola runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lola?
- In United States, Lola streams on Criterion Channel.
