The French film was a box office hit and earned its star Christa Theret, a Cesar nomination for Most Promising Actress of 2010. The American remake had a very limited run for a week or two, and won’t be putting any awards on star Miley Cyrus’ mantle.
Cyrus stars as Lola (Lol to her friends), a sixteen-year-old Chicago high schooler trying to navigate the highs and lows of adolescence. As a new school year begins, Lola is heartbroken by revelations that her boyfriend Chad (George Finn) is cheating on her. Shortly thereafter, her best friend Kyle (Douglas Booth) reveals his longstanding love for her. At the same time, Lola’s loving but stressed mother Anne (Demi Moore) is at a loss as to how to deal with her daughter’s burgeoning sexuality. It doesn’t help matters that Anne’s life is experiencing its own chaos—she’s involved in a not-so-secret affair with her ex-husband (Thomas Jane), while trying to decide whether to pursue a relationship with a would-be suitor. Anne manages to put more strain on the mother/daughter bond when she “accidentally” reads Lola’s diary. With a class trip to Paris coming up fast, Lola just wants to avoid anymore embarrassments, and be sure not to drive Kyle away.
Not having seen the original French version of LOL, it’s impossible to evaluate how well the material was reworked. Nonetheless, it’\s painfully obvious that as it is, this film doesn’t offer anything audiences haven’t seen dozens of times before, done better. The biggest problem is that none of the characters are particularly likeable. Yes, Lola and her mother are going through some emotional upheavals, but I didn’t much care how they were resolved. While Azuelos may have been trying to present a real story about the growing communication gap between parents and their children in the digital age, but nothing here establishes that. Instead, Lola and Anne are incredibly whiny, and the rest of the teenage characters fit into well established clichés (the geek, the nerd, the popular kid).
Tweens and Miley Cyrus fans might enjoy LOL; others are probably wise to avoid this one.
Framed at 2.40:1, Lionsgate’s 1080p transfer is more than acceptable. Kieran McGuigan’s occasionally moody cinematography is handled well, with deep blacks and a well represented color palette. Skin tones look appropriate throughout, and the image maintains a nice level of detail.
The included DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 is a bit much for a non action film, but it certainly gets the job done. Dialogue is crystal clear throughout, though it should be noted that the surrounds don’t get much of a workout here.
English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are available.
The following special features are included:
- An Audio Commentary with writer/director and actors Ashley Hinshaw and Lina Esco: In this chatty commentary, the threesome discusses the making of the film, specific scenes, different shots, etc.
- The Cast of LOL (5 min.) Is a typical featurette that has the cast discussing what it was like to work together.
- Like Mother, Like Daughter (5 min) has the cast discussing their experiences with mother daughter relationships.
- Lots of Love for Lisa Azuelos (3 min) is a love fest from the cast to the director.
