Lola, la película

This biopic of Lola Flores begins in Jerez 1931 with the little girl trying to dance 'bulerias'. It advances quickly through the years of 1935 and 1939. Lola is cast as a gypsy dancer for a film shot in a studio in Madrid. She and her mother move to Madrid. By 1940 she is singing at 'cafe cantantes'. From then on the film follows her rise to success more diligently. There is her relationship with a wealthy antiques dealer, Arenzana, who finances her first attempt at a revue show with Manolo Caracol. Then on to the stormy relationship with the latter after the break up with Arenzana. Lola eventually becomes a celebrity. Her love life though is fraught with amorous disappointments, a topic that is central to the later half of the narrative.

If you plan to see this film based on the hope of seeing a lot of flamenco, don't. Except for the wonderful 'sapateado' that serves as background for the opening credits, the few other performances are disappointing.

Lola Flores was one of the most famous flamenco dancer and copla singer in the world. In Spain used to call her "La Faraona" and perhaps with Rocio Jurado and Concha Piquer was the best in her genre. She died in 1995 and perhaps could be this date the end of the film.

This film show us the first year of Lola Flores until the born of Lolita Flores, her first daughter. This bring a period of time between 1931 to 1958. It's also her period of several romance like Manolo el Caracol or her husband "El Pescailla".

This topic about love and jealousy is what the film is all about. A big mistake, cause she does a very good performance that could be show in the film.

Passable biography about María Dolores "Lola" Flores Ruiz (21 January 1923 – 16 May 1995) nicknamed ¨La Faraona¨ , she was a known Spanish singer, dancer, and actress . The movie describes her early life, starting in 1931 until 1958 . Lola Flores (Gala Évora who bears strong Andalusian accent) , a native of Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz (Andalusia, Spain) was an icon of Andalusian folklore and Spanish Gypsy culture, recognized throughout Spain as well as internationally . Flores was not a gypsy herself but identified strongly with the Roma people and culture and eventually married into a Gitano family . She did, however, acknowledge that she had been told her maternal grandfather was of Romani extraction . She became a famous dancer and singer of Andalusian folklore at a very young age , performing flamenco , Copla , Bulerias and Chotis and appearing in films from 1939 to 1987 . Her notorious career ran half a century . She experienced her greatest success performing in folklore shows with Manolo Caracol (Jose Luis Garcia Perez gives nice acting) , who was her artistic partner until 1951 . Her numbers space the plot that has her leaving the gypsy camp for the big city, where her talent gets to be show cased in TV studio as theater , getting a big hit . Lola achieved a great international success shooting as Spanish pictures (Embrujo , Morena Clara , Niña De La Venta , Estrella De Sierra Morena , Maria De La O , El Balcón De La Luna) , as Hispano-American movies (La Faraona , Maricruz ,La Gitana y El Charro) . In 1958, she married Antonio González el Pescaílla (Alfonso Guevara) , a guitarist from Cataluña Spain who was gypsy . She had three children : Dolores (singer and actress Lolita Flores); rock musician, singer and actor Antonio Flores; and singer and actress Rosario Flores. Lola Flores died of breast cancer in 1995, aged 72, and was buried in the Cementerio de la Almudena in Madrid . Shortly after her death, her distraught 33-year-old son, Antonio Flores, committed suicide by overdosing on barbiturates and was buried beside her.

¨Lola La Pelicula¨ results to be other of the innumerable stories to deal with dramatic deeds regarding famous characters . This is an enjoyable biopic including a loving triangle , Flamenco shows and the typical Spanish clichés . The story is extremely melodramatic and plenty of songs , musical spectacle and atmospheric scenarios . Colorful story of love and jealousy in which a gorgeous gypsy seduces several men , being partially based on facts . Quite ambitiously staged vehicle for Signora Lola Flores, who has a strong singing voice , here stunningly interpreted by Gala Evora who sings wonderfully ¨Ay Pena , Penita , Pena ..¨ . It packs drama , emotion , some real biographical events about Lola and other brief fictitious elements . It has various dancing numbers perfectly choreographed by expert dancer Cristina Hoyos , Carlos Saura's ordinary . In the picture appears famous directors and producers who shot with Lola such as the Mexican Miguel Morayta , the powerful producer Cesareo Gonzalez of Suevia Film , the most important production company during Franco era and Ramon Torrado , known for directing some vehicles of known Folkloric stars such as Peret , Manolo Escobar , Paquita Rico , Carmen Sevilla and Lola Flores . The film seems not to be approved by any of the Flores family , due to its dark remarks . Since very young she is famous as a dancer and Singer of Andalusian folklore ; however the works of Miss Flores appear to be known only in the Hispanic world . In 1939 she debuts in cinema in the role of a gypsy . Her greatest success is in folklore shows with Manolo Caracol , very good played by Jose Luis Garcia Perez , as artistic partner till 1951 . She marries in 1958 to Guitarrist Antonio González "El Pescaílla" . The picture relies heavily the stormy relationship with a wealthy antiques dealer splendidly performed by Carlos Hipolito , who finances her first attempt at a revue show with Manolo Caracol , but then she breaks up with him and takes place the classic triangular drama , turning into a ¨Soap Opera¨ . But anyway, its is compensated with the great performances from Gala Evora , Ana Fernández , Alfonso Guevara , interpreters who provided a considerable boost to the result . Miguel Hermoso is a great director of actors and the main players are complemented by a good cast of secondaries such as Kiti Manver , Antonio Morales and Jose Antonio Ceinos .

Competent all studio filming in the hands of a good filmmaker , as the motion picture was well directed by Miguel Hermoso , being filmed in his usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the thought-provoking issues , in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement . Miguel Hermoso is an expert on comedy as proved in ¨Loco Veneno¨, ¨Truanes¨, ¨Marbella¨ and drama such as ¨Como Un Relampago¨, this biopic ¨Lola¨, ¨Luz Prodigiosa¨ and his greatest hit was ¨Fugitivas¨ . Rating : 6 , decent movie . The picture will appeal to Lola Flores enthusiasts .

I would have liked to see more of her singing and dancing and less of her bed to bed jumping! Also, why stop at 1958, when she lived up to 1995?

In those 35 years she didn't prostitute herself and the writer didn't know what to tell us?

That was not important to me, I wanted more of the behind the scenes and dancing, not the lovers who were only using her...

I am sure she had lots of more stuff happening in her life between 1958 and 1995, besides, this movie seems not to be supported by any of the Flores family, what make me think they didn't approve it.