Lola

Synopsis: Roland Cassard is a young man with no job and seemingly no prospects. By chance, he runs into his former girlfriend, Cecile who works as a dancer at a cabaret under the stage name Lola. She is now a single mom and works hard to provide her young son with all of the necessities of life. Lola still hopes that her son's father, Michel - the true love of her life - will someday return to them. Seeing Lola again confirms to Roland that he is in love with her but his feelings aren't reciprocated. Roland has also met Madame Desnoyer and her 14 year-old daughter, also called Cecile. Madame Desnoyer, a widow, is quite taken with Roland but he has little interest in her. For Roland, he sees little future in remaining in France.
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director(s): Jacques Demy
Production: Wellspring Media Inc.
  Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 win.
 
IMDB:
7.6
Metacritic:
73
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%
NOT RATED
Year:
1961
90 min
597 Views


CRY WHO WILL,

LAUGH WHO CAN.

CHINESE PROVERB:

Goddamn. I'm late.

You're late.

It's after 2:
00.

- What of it?

- How nice!

I fell asleep after lunch.

You'll lose your job

and never find a new one.

Give me some coffee,

not too hot.

I'm always late.

Freedom's too important

for me...

and I hate people

who give me advice.

- Where's Jeanne?

- Downtown.

This town

and its people bore me.

Thanks a lot.

I don't mean you...

but at times,

it all makes me sick.

All what?

Everything, including me.

- Sugar.

- Sorry!

I'm totally lost.

Then do something.

Do I let things get me down?

Neither do I.

I'm thinking.

Think less and do more.

Look at you.

It's a stupid job.

No great loss.

A chair! Quick! I'll pass out!

Claire, it's awful!

What?

I just saw him!

- Who?

- Michel.

My son!

Give me a cognac.

I was shopping,

and I saw him go by in a car.

I knew it.

I had a feeling this morning.

Roland, you believe

in dreams, don't you?

I do. Last night I saw him.

In my dream,

I spilled some rice.

That means a visit.

Tons of rice!

All over the place!

When Michel left 7 years ago...

he said, "Ma, I'm going to be

a father any minute now.

"I'm going to seek my fortune."

And he left.

For 7 years now,

not a word from him.

Last night, I had a dream,

and now...

as I came out of

the hardware, who went by?

Michel.

In a gorgeous car

right out of a dream.

I come in here, and you act

as if I'm crazy.

- Jeanne.

- Crazy.

If Michel was here in Nantes,

you'd be the first to know.

He left home broke.

How could he have such a car?

By making his fortune!

Michel's an honest man.

Then I'm crazy.

You're telling me!

Claire's right.

Go on. Insult me.

A son would come first

to see his mother.

You never met him.

He's kind.

Honest, kind, and perfect.

Sure, make him out

to be a saint.

But you don't abandon

your mom and baby.

- What baby?

- His own.

He left his wife, too.

He left a poor needy girl

who must be a charwoman...

slaving to raise his child.

Where's my box?

Where it belongs.

Going to work?

Yes, I'm going.

One day, I'll go away, too.

Still here?

What of it?

You're lazy.

I don't like lazy people.

If you meant to hurt me,

you have.

You're mean, Claire.

I'm lucid.

The boss asked for you.

- What for?

- No idea. Wait.

Yes, sir, he just came in.

The boss is waiting.

Yes. No. Impossible.

Sit down, Cassard.

I'll ring you back.

Cassard, this can't

go on like this.

My dad always used to say...

"Punctuality makes perfect."

And also...

"Success in life

means being on time."

You'll say you don't care

about perfection and success.

- Right?

- More or less.

You're probably intelligent.

Don't deny it.

But I've observed you,

and you have a major fault.

You build castles in the air.

I do dream a bit.

That's bad.

Look things square in the face!

You've been here three days

on a trial basis.

In three days, you've been

late five times.

I don't want excuses.

I'm sure you have plenty.

"My alarm didn't go off.

"I missed my bus."

Yes, sir.

I'm listening.

I was reading this

fascinating novel and...

Let's see it.

It's a great one.

It was on my night table

for years.

Then you understand me.

There's a line.

On page 15...

"There's no dignity

nor real life for a man...

"who works 12 hours a day...

"but knows not

for what he works."

It's true. I don't know

what I'm working for.

Fine.

Come back and see me

once you've found out.

Good-bye, my boy.

Well?

Nothing.

We didn't see eye to eye.

"Return to Paradise."

How are you?

No more rehearsing.

Music! Champagne!

Let's have some fun!

Sure, Lola's here.

There.

I'm glad you came.

I was just leaving.

Lola, I want to sleep

with you again.

I don't.

Because.

I brought you this.

Whiskey and cigarettes!

That's crazy!

That's for your son.

You shouldn't have.

Thanks, Franky.

You don't like me.

I do. That's just it.

I don't understand.

That's how it is.

Please.

- Hello.

- Hi, Mama.

Franky brought you this.

Hello, Madame Desnoyer.

Hello, Cecile.

How are you?

Upset.

Here are your books.

A practical joker underlined

the killer's name on page 13.

It's outrageous.

See for yourself.

I'm sorry, Madame Desnoyer.

As for the other book,

it's disgusting.

If Cecile had read it,

I'd have been mortified.

But it's so

beautifully written.

You usually appreciate style.

And what about morality?

This Justine girl...

she's so stupid.

I didn't think you'd be shocked.

It's very much in demand.

- Hello, Mr. Cassard.

- Hello.

What would you like?

I don't know what to suggest.

A book for my daughter.

For her last year of school...

she has one hour

of English a week.

Fridays from 4:
00 to 5:00.

She'd like a dictionary

in French and English.

A small one.

Be quiet.

A small one.

That's a rather

special dictionary.

- Not very.

- Pardon?

It's very useful

for learning English.

True, but I'll

have to order one.

Never what we want.

Cecile, please!

It's true, but I don't care.

Excuse me, but I couldn't

help overhearing.

I have such a dictionary,

if you wish...

You're too kind,

but we couldn't accept.

Mr. Cassard's one

of my best customers.

Roland Cassard.

I don't mean to be a bother,

but, yes, I'll accept it.

Say "thank you."

Thank you, sir.

I had a childhood friend

named Cecile.

You look like her.

I lost track of her

after the war.

Your name made me think of her.

You look so much like her,

I feel ten years younger.

How curious.

Indeed.

I'm glad to be of help.

When may I deliver it?

No need to do that.

My daughter and I can...

I have plenty of time.

We live at 10 rue de Calvaire.

Madame Desnoyer.

This evening at 7:00?

- Gladly.

- Good.

Thank you again.

Come on, Cecile.

Sacha Distel.

Not today.

They're charming.

I look awful.

You're the most beautiful girl

I've ever known.

Really?

You have charm,

grace, and beauty.

You're in love.

I'm always in love.

I'm engaged in the States.

Where were you before?

Before what?

Before the Navy.

I worked for Dad in Chicago.

What's he do?

He's in lifts.

You know, for going up.

Airplanes?

Sputniks?

No, not sputniks.

Never mind.

Maybe I'll work for him again

when I get home in three months.

And get married?

You look so much like him.

Who?

A guy that I loved a lot.

American?

French.

Are you jealous?

No, I'm not jealous.

Tomorrow we're sailing

for Cherbourg.

Our leave's over.

And then?

Back to the States.

Coming back to France?

Maybe.

I don't know.

Come on. I must take the boy

to school, and I'm late.

Why are you looking

at me that way?

No reason. Just looking.

I'll come say good-bye tomorrow.

If you want to.

What's wrong?

It's broken.

I'll buy you a new one.

I want a trumpet.

You'll get one.

Come on.

Come on, Yvon.

The dictionary.

It was here this morning.

Where did I put it?

Here.

It's odd.

- I lost my job.

- Surprised?

No, but I'm broke.

Can you loan me?

Here. I'm big-hearted.

I'm hungry.

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Jacques Demy

Jacques Demy (French: [ʒak dəmi]; 5 June 1931 – 27 October 1990) was a French director, lyricist, and screenwriter. He appeared in the wake of the French New Wave alongside contemporaries like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut. Demy's films are celebrated for their sumptuous visual style. Demy's style drew upon such diverse sources as classic Hollywood musicals, the documentary realism of his New Wave colleagues, fairy-tales, jazz, Japanese manga, and the opera. His films contain overlapping continuity (i.e., characters cross over from film to film), lush musical scores (typically composed by Michel Legrand) and motifs like teenaged love, labor rights, incest, and the intersection between dreams and reality. He is best known for the two musicals he directed in the mid-1960s: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Lola" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/lola_12751>.

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