Lola

Simultaneously a tribute to Max Ophüls (to whom it is dedicated), Nantes (its setting), American musicals, and the joyous but always glorious romantic roundelay centred on the alluring and enigmatic presence of Aimée's eponymous cabaret-dancer, forced to choose between a trio of lovers. Its breezy tone, narrative coincidences, circling camera, and overall brio suggest a certain superficiality, but at its heart lies a wistful awareness that happiness in love is both transient and largely dependent on chance. Very beautifully shot, in widescreen and luminous black-and-white, it is also formally astonishing, with all the minor characters serving as variations on the central couple.