Man, I wanted to like this, I really did. I love Charles Bronson, and I thought it was strange he would star in a movie so far from his wheelhouse; the movie has several other flaws, but he really drags it down. There are other movies that deal with a May/December relationship, however they are usually dramas; this one is a comedy. Lola (AKA Twinky, AKA London Affair) has a strong-enough start, but then it's just a whole lot of nothing. I can't believe Richard Donner directed this, it's a train wreck! Going back to Bronson, he is not a comedic actor, and this role needed to be funny. Were this more of a gritty, Lolita-esque, love story, I could see him maybe pulling it off. Furthermore, the chemistry he has with Susan George - our titular Twinky - is nonexistent. At first, I thought this had to be toned down because Twinky is sixteen - all that is ever shown, by the way, are a few passionless kisses - while Twinky may have been underage, Susan was nineteen. In other words, poor casting. Now, going back to Susan, she was actually great. Her moments to shine were few, yet she was definitely the highlight. Examples would be the times that her naivety lead to Scott (Bronson) getting into trouble that would have been averted is she would have kept quiet. In better hands, with a different cast, this could have been good. There's no way I could recommend this. I was hoping this would be more like Lolita - since the name Lola is clearly an allusion to that - but it never utilizes the premise to move the story, it's merely there as a detail. That is to say, Twinky could be the same age as Scott, and the story would barely have to change.
Review by BronsonBlockedParent2024-04-18T07:21:06Z
Man, I wanted to like this, I really did. I love Charles Bronson, and I thought it was strange he would star in a movie so far from his wheelhouse; the movie has several other flaws, but he really drags it down.
There are other movies that deal with a May/December relationship, however they are usually dramas; this one is a comedy.
Lola (AKA Twinky, AKA London Affair) has a strong-enough start, but then it's just a whole lot of nothing.
I can't believe Richard Donner directed this, it's a train wreck!
Going back to Bronson, he is not a comedic actor, and this role needed to be funny. Were this more of a gritty, Lolita-esque, love story, I could see him maybe pulling it off.
Furthermore, the chemistry he has with Susan George - our titular Twinky - is nonexistent. At first, I thought this had to be toned down because Twinky is sixteen - all that is ever shown, by the way, are a few passionless kisses - while Twinky may have been underage, Susan was nineteen. In other words, poor casting.
Now, going back to Susan, she was actually great. Her moments to shine were few, yet she was definitely the highlight. Examples would be the times that her naivety lead to Scott (Bronson) getting into trouble that would have been averted is she would have kept quiet.
In better hands, with a different cast, this could have been good.
There's no way I could recommend this. I was hoping this would be more like Lolita - since the name Lola is clearly an allusion to that - but it never utilizes the premise to move the story, it's merely there as a detail. That is to say, Twinky could be the same age as Scott, and the story would barely have to change.