"And Then Came Lola," Sizzling in SF & at Philadelphia's QFest
By Sherri Rase
photo courtesy of QFest
Ashleigh Sumner as Lola
Sex is communication. In a broad sense, pun intended, "And Then Came Lola" (USA 2009, 70 minutes) is a subtle variation on Tom Tykwer's 1998 German thriller "Lola Rennt" (Run, Lola, Run) where Franka Potente runs to collect 100,000 deutsche marks to avoid the anger of the mob. This variation has photographer Lola (Ashleigh Sumner) running to get her lover Casey (Jill Bennett) some photographs that Casey needs in order to bid for work that Danny, as in Danielle's firm has available. Danielle is played by Cathy DeBuono, the rent-a-butch from Lee Friedlander's 2007 "Out at the Wedding" and is a hottie who may have designs on Casey-again.
Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler's direction, and story and screenplay respectively, write a love letter to San Francisco, even as we chart Lola's progress in career, life and love. Several "in" jokes for the out community make it interesting and fun and several fantasy sequences raise the temperature of this film, perfect for hot-blooded summer lesbians-especially those who nurture a secret love for voices like Jodie Foster's.
Want to know whether Lola gets the girl? The job? The life? Then QFest is the place! Just remember, the third time is the charm...Sex is communication, but it's not the only form.
QFest (www.phillycinema.org), Philadelphia's gay and lesbian film festival, gives "And Then Came Lola" its East Coast premiere on July 11 at 7:15 p.m. at the Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut Street, and repeats it the following day at 4:15 p.m. at the Ritz East, Theater One, at 125 South Second Street.
