No. 81 Frank & Lola (2016) 65 of 100

 

Time for a dysfunctional relationship now as the titular couple fall in and out of love on a regular basis.

The film opens with a sex scene with the couple teasing each other as to whether they should save themselves for later. Michael keeps his pants on but Imogen Poots is more devoted to her art.

We get various out of sequence snapshots of the couple’s relationship including an awkward meeting with Lola’s mother. Frank (Shannon) is a talented chef but is a bit jealous and overbearing towards the younger Lola. He gets upset when Justin Long chats her up in a bar as he looks on, and more so when he offers her a fashion design job. He’s nothing but nice, and a bit miscast, and even helps Frank to get a leg up by suggesting him to head a new Las Vegas restaurant.

The relationship hits the rocks when Lola gets caught out having slept with another man. Frank leaves her but later reconciles with her when she reveals that she was raped by a man who was wooing her mother. She later slept with this man Alan again, replaying her victim part. Alan is now in Paris and when Frank has to travel there for the restaurant audition, he looks him up.

Frank is ready to fillet Alan but relents when he’s shown a video of Lola actively participating an a threesome. Saddened by this Frank agrees to go to a swingers club with Alan and ends up in a threesome of his own. I should get out more! 

Now back in Vegas, Frank tells Lola to bolt but Lola says Frank has been played by Alan and his French threesome was in part with Alan’s wife. She also tells Frank that she fell pregnant to Alan and accepted a $400k pay off to have an abortion and leave for Las Vegas.

Alan, still horny, travels to Vegas and he and Frank have a fight with Alan being sent home with a sore face. The film ends with Frank opening his restaurant and his future status with Lola being undetermined.

I enjoyed this film but I have to say these grubby people are awful. Shannon was great as the quietly spoken Frank who had more than a bit of menace about himself. He spoke good French and impressed with the cookery scenes. Imogen Poots was equally good as Lola but she was a total nightmare and Frank should have run a mile when he had a chance.

The film was on a quite small scale with the bad behaviour of three or more people filling the modest 88 minute runtime. There wasn’t a lot of sex but plenty of drawn out and slowly spoken conversations.

There was not a lot of action to speak of and I’m not convinced there were any character developments either – they all seemed as messed up at the end as they were at the start!

It was however well shot with some real threat of violence and some intensity. Shannon was sympathetic and his moth to Lola’s flame was a disaster waiting to happen. I don’t think I learned anything here but I enjoyed the ride on the seamy side of life.

When is Shannon-On? - 00.55

Outcome? Not sure if single

Film 3/5

Shannon Stars 3.5/5