Miakmynov Review of Lila, Lila

Lila, Lila (2009)

Sorry - I really wanted to like this....but I didn't

[5/10 · 26 June 2010]

Geographically-speaking, it seems quite apt that the Director is from Switzerland, as this film gets rather lost in the awkward territory between the seriousness of contemporary new wave German drama and the playful, farcical rom-coms so loved by the French. It's closer to the latter, with the most obvious comparison that I could think of being the recent Audrey Tatou vehicle, Priceless – similar premise (a waiter resorting to extreme tactics in order to try and win the girl over), but without the same level of chemistry between, or empathy for, the two main characters, this is a bit of a soggy farce. The romantic element felt pedestrian and predictable – him coming clean at the end, and that being enough to win her back – yawn. It's entertaining enough in a lightweight and frivolous sort of way, but don't go with any hopes of seeing something of the quality of 'Goodbye Lenin' of 'The Lives of Others', for this isn't in the same league.