Cult
Epics | Review by DR Carter
Tinto
Brass followed up his collection of short
subjects, P.O. BOX TINTO BRASS, with a more
straightforward narrative film in FRIVOLOUS
LOLA (aka MONELLA). The film is a departure
from that work but by no-means is it uncharted
waters for the Maestro. In LOLA we have
all of the telltale signs of classic Brass.
Beautiful leading woman, check. Playful
eroticism, check. Curiously low camera angles,
check.
Unlike a large portion of
Brass' work, LOLA is not a narrative wound
around the sexual adventures of its titular
character. The Lola in question is in fact
quite sexually frustrated. Her fiancé
Andre refuses to have sex with her prior
to their wedding day. However typical of
a "Brass girl" Lola has a very
healthy sexual appetite and the continual
rebuffing of her advances begins to both
anger her and wound her emotionally.
As you have come to expect
from the Maestro, LOLA is beautifully filmed
and the direction is first rate. His voyeuristic
camera is present however it is not as blatant
as in other films. While much of Brass'
work has the action taking place indoors,
there are several exceptional outdoor scenes
in the film. A standout is a very beautifully
filmed underwater fantasy that Lola has,
which I believe is a first for Brass. Additionally
Brass makes wonderful use of music as a
part of the narrative theme. The film is
set in the 1950's and Brass has carefully
crafted the soundtrack to fill in some of
the gaps in dialogue. The "Bebop-a-Lula"
masturbation/fantasy scene will likely stick
out in the viewer's mind more than the plot
at first viewing.
It is difficult to discuss
a Brass film without discussing whom he
has chosen as a leading lady. Brass' films
almost invariably have a central female
around which the entire film is based. Anna
Ammirati certainly has the beauty and charm
that one has come to expect from Brass.
Despite that, LOLA was her first role and
she is ill equipped to handle the weight
of the entire film on her shoulders. I get
the feeling Brass was trying to have her
appear naive and innocent in this role,
however she often comes off looking clueless
and lost in many scenes.
Another misstep is the incestual
sub-plot between Lola and her "is he
or isn't he" father. What could have
been a very interesting and erotic aspect
of the story really falls flat. Ms. Ammirati's
lack of experience is not fully to blame
however. Far too much time is devoted to
far too little in terms of payoff. It ends
up being a distraction to the main plot.
Simply put, the sexual tension is never
developed. The film doesn't capitalize on
the tension in the way Brass' THE KEY did
in such a brilliant way. The bright side
is that Serena Grandi makes a fantastic
appearance as Lola's mother. Thirteen years
after MIRANDA it's still obvious why Ms.
Grandi received the "Sexiest Woman
in Italy" name once.
Like the main character, FRIVOLOUS
LOLA is a bit of a beautiful tease. We have
this gorgeously filmed movie, but the plot
never really gets off the ground and eroticism
is sorely lacking as well. Had Brass decided
to go with just the incest plot and make
the tone darker, or just the Lola/Andre
tension and play up the comedy, we would
have a much better film. If you are a fan
of Brass' work, LOLA is definitely worth
your time to see. The Maestro is still doing
what he does best and the film is visually
stunning. I doubt it will warrant many repeat
viewings however.
