“Lolo” is like a light French pastry with a thumbtack stuck in the middle.
Julie Delpy’s film (she co-wrote, stars and directed) is a genial romantic comedy with a twist — a twist of jerk-faced loser right there in the heart of it. It’s supposed to give the film some edge, steer it away from the typical rom-com, but it’s so off-putting it poisons it.
Delpy plays Violette, an art director for fashion shows in Paris. She’s in her 40s, divorced, the mother of a 19-year-old son, and she feels adrift. When she and her friend Ariane (Karin Viard) visit a spa in Biarritz, she meets Jean-Rene (Dany Boon, the French comic), a genuinely nice guy who genuinely likes Violette. Which means trouble is ahead, of course.
Jean-Rene, a computer programmer, moves to Paris for work and the two start dating in earnest. Things are going great — until Violette introduces Jean-Rene to Lolo (Vincent Lacoste). To Violette, Lolo is a sweet little bunny. To the rest of the world, he is a hack artist spoiled beyond belief, with an Oedipus complex so strong it would make Sophocles blush. He makes it his mission to drive J-R, as he calls him, away. Or better yet, set the hapless guy up so that his mother will do the job instead.
I know, I know. This is the edgy bit. And maybe I’m not giving Lacoste enough credit for what is an obviously convincing performance — so much so that I could not stand the guy. I can’t remember the last time I had this strong a reaction to a character. So bravo for the terrific acting. But dang.
Maybe it’s because Jean-Rene is such a sweet fellow, or because Violette finally seems happy, but those explanations make it sound like I’ve fallen prey to the typical rom-com traps and become uncomfortable when the story strays outside them. And who knows, maybe that’s the case. But while Lolo starts out with pranks like itching powder in Jean-Rene’s clothes, he graduates to attempts at full-on career destruction. There’s a shift in the film that Delpy the director doesn’t handle smoothly. (Delpy the actress does just fine.) Lolo isn’t just a brat. He’s a full-on nutjob.
Eventually, the film gets back on the rom-com rails toward the end, though Delpy throws in a nice jolt. I appreciated the effort Delpy, directing her sixth feature, puts forth in trying to spice up the genre. But that doesn’t mean I enjoyed it.
★★
FilmRise presents a film written and directed by Julie Delpy. In French with English subtitles. Running time: 100 minutes. No MPAA rating. Opens Friday at the Gene Siskel Film Center.