And Then Came Lola Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

And Then Came Lola Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 19, 2010

Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler's "And Then Came Lola" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Peccadillo Pictures. The supplemental features on the disc include picture in picture commentary with directors Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler, and actress Ashleigh Sumner; behind the scenes featurette; interviews; production stills gallery; behind the scenes gallery; and trailer. In English, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Lola

Lola (Ashleigh Sumner) is a beautiful lesbian with plenty of emotional problems. She is in a relationship with Casey (Jill Bennett, Out at the Wedding), who is on the verge of getting her dream job. Casey desperately needs Lola to quickly deliver a set of photographs to her in a cozy bar somewhere on the outskirts of San Francisco.

But Lola is known for always being late, disorganized and impossible to rely on. So, naturally, when Casey calls and begs her to deliver her photographs on time, a string of unfortunate events ensue. Luckily for Lola, she gets three chances to prove that she can be trusted.

Lola rushes through the streets of San Francisco, bumping into all sorts of wacky characters, and ends up at her former lover’s (Jessica Graham, Devil Girl) developing store to collect Casey’s photos. While waiting for the photos to be delivered, the two talk about their past and what went wrong. Eventually, the photos are delivered and Lola is back on the streets of San Francisco.

Meanwhile, while waiting, Casey gets too friendly with her client Danielle (Cathy DeBuono, Tremble & Spark), a sultry lesbian, who may or may not have had an affair with her in the past. The bartender, Seri (Linda Ignazi, Six Sex Scenes and a Murder), possibly a lesbian as well, does not like what she sees and gently reminds Casey that she is in a serious relationship with Lola. Eventually, Danielle gets tired of waiting and decides to leave, which is precisely when Lola appears.

The same story is repeated two more times, and each time fragments of it are altered. For example, the second time around Lola bumps into her ex-girlfriend’s new lover, a crazy girl walking her dog, and a strange older couple looking for a "special" friend to have some fun with. She even meets a gay couple that turns out to be disappointingly normal.

Inspired by Tom Tykwer’s award winning Run Lola Run, Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler’s And Then Came Lola is a light and genuinely unpretentious film that does not attempt to break any new boundaries. Instead, it aims to entertain as much as it can, promoting a certain look that would likely appeal primarily to those who keep a close eye on lesbian cinema.

Similar to Run Lola Run, And Then Came Lola mixes live action with animation. Still photography is also added up for flavor. However, And Then Came Lola, does not look as polished as Run Lola Run. On the contrary, it actually looks notably rough.

The acting is pleasing but far from impressive. Sumner is remarkably energetic in front of the camera but occasionally looks somewhat stiff. Bennett, whom I remember from Dewey Kim’s wonderful Fish Out of Water, is a lot more relaxed. DeBuono is delightfully seductive.

It is very easy to tell that And Then Came Lola had a limited budget. Jennifer Derbin’s lensing isn’t terribly convincing, but the film’s rough look may actually be what appeals the most to hardcore independent film fans.

And Then Came Lola boasts a strong soundtrack with hits by Corday, Sick of Sarah, Jessy Moss, Bilk, Saucy Monky, and Lori Michaels.

Note: And Then Came Lola has been screened at more than 70 LGBT film festivals around the world, including the BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, the Boston Gay Lesbian Film Festival, and the Lesbian Film Festival in Freiburg, Germany, and it is the first indie Lesbian film to be offered on Blu-ray.

And Then Came Lola Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler's And Then Came Lola arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Peccadillo Pictures.

Generally speaking, this is a pleasing high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is good and contrast levels are relatively stable. The color-scheme, however, is somewhat inconsistent - occasionally some of the greens, yellows, and browns tend to look soft. Some mild edge-enhancement is noticeable during the daylight footage, but macroblocking is not a serious issue of concern. Some light noise is also present during selected scenes. The animation sequences, however, look sharp and well detailed. Furthermore, there are no serious stability issues. I also did not detect any transfer-specific anomalies to report in this review. All in all, this is a pleasing Blu-ray release by Peccadillo Pictures. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is some PAL content preceding the main menu, but you will be able to skip it with Region-A PS3s and SAs).

And Then Came Lola Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Peccadillo Pictures have provided optional English SDH and German subtitles for the main feature.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is pleasing. The bass is potent and the high-frequencies not overdone. Though not overly active, the rear channels are effective. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable and exceptionally easy to follow. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is good. Its dynamic amplitude is not as potent as that of the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, but the gap in quality between the two isn't too big. The dialog is, again, crisp, clean and very easy to follow.

And Then Came Lola Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Behind the scenes - a standard featurette with an abundance of raw footage from the shooting of the film, as well as comments from cast and crew members about the production process. Not subtitled. (20 min, 480/60i).

PIP commentary - picture in picture commentary with directors Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler, and actress Ashleigh Sumner. The trio discusses the production history of the film, its message, as well as some key scenes from it. Please note that this supplemental feature is cannot be accessed with Profile 1.0 players.

Interview with actresses - Cathy DeBuono, Ashleigh Sumner and Jill Bennett talk about their work and the film and the characters they play. Not subtitled. (9 min).

Interview with the directors - Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler talk about how their film came to exist. Not subtitled. (11 min).

Quick-fire questions - a gallery of hilarious questions/answers. The answers are from Cathy DeBuono, Ashleigh Sumner and Jill Bennett. Not subtitled. (2 min).

Production stills gallery-

Behind the scenes gallery -

Trailer - the trailer for the film. (3 min).

And Then Came Lola Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

And Then Came Lola is a sexy lesbian romp with a terrific soundtrack that should appeal to a variety of different viewers. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British newcomers Peccadillo Pictures, looks and sounds good. It is also Region-Free. I cannot wait to see more from the studio's terrific roster of indie and foreign films. (Could we have Benoît Jacquot's Villa Amalia on Blu-ray, please). RECOMMENDED.