‘Lola Versus’ director Daryl Wein on New York hipster comedies and being compared to Woody Allen

Think of 28-year-old DIY director Daryl Wein as a quirky romantic comedy guy who’s tapped into the unique emotional entanglements of young New York hipsters. After breaking out with a poignant documentary portrait of ‘80s HIV/AIDS activist Richard Berkowitz in Sex Positive, he and girlfriend Zoe Lister-Jones decided to use their year-long experience in an open relationship as raw material for their heartfelt and hilarious feature Breaking Upwards – which they wrote, produced and starred in. A considerable step up from Breaking's measly $15,000 budget and a cast partly round up on Craigslist, Wein and Lister-Jones were allotted a more substantial $5 million budget by Fox Searchlight for their 2012 follow-up, Lola Versus.

Starring mumblecore queen Greta Gerwig in one of her first leading roles, Lola Versus finds its titular New York heroine down in the dumps after being jilted by her fiancé (Joel Kinnaman) mere weeks before they’re set to tie the knot. An emotional meltdown ensues, as the soon-turning-30 Lola finds herself navigating the confounding and just plain weird Manhattan dating scene. NIGHTLIFE.CA spoke to Wein about those who liken him to a young Woody Allen, his interest in depicting twentysomething New Yorkers’ rollercoaster love lives and his support for a feminist group protesting the lack of female directors at Cannes.

Wein, Greta Gerwig and Hamish Linklater on the set of 'Lola Versus'

Nightlife.ca: Breaking Upwards was grounded in your actual relationship experience. Did you draw the line somewhere in terms of Lola Versus being purely fictional?
Daryl Wein: We used up everything that was interesting about our life with Breaking Upwards, so we kind of had to draw on other experiences and our imaginations! (laughs) This one might have a little bit of personal experience in that when Zoe and I were single during that year we were in that open relationship, we realized that Zoe had a much different time as a single woman than I did as a single man. We noticed there’s kind of an epidemic among smart, funny women who have all these trials and tribulations on the dating scene in New York, and we weren’t seeing that translated on screen in a way that felt authentic to our reality.

Do you think the issues Zoe experienced during that year speak to a larger reality?
I do. I think that men on the dating scene just want to hook up and get laid. Women are looking to have fulfilling relationships and deeper connections. I’ve noticed that major disparity between the two sexes. I think it just goes back to the good ol’ "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus!" (laughs) The differences in who we are genetically…

Greta Gerwig in 'Lola Versus'

You’ve said that you’re proud to make films featuring strong, authentic female protagonists, which is not something we see enough of. I’d be curious to know what you made of the criticism directed at Cannes festival programmers in May, when a number of women denounced the lack of female directors selected in competition.
I think that Cannes programmers should be ashamed and embarrassed for not selecting more female filmmakers at their festival. It’s almost verging on misogyny that there aren’t more female filmmakers, as if they don’t make as good films or something…

I think the festival would benefit from a more diverse slate of films that not only highlight female directors but also other films that aren’t necessarily bleak, dramatic, Euro-centric stories. They also have an issue with not having very many comedies in their festival. To be honest, I’m getting a little tired of that. They really need to diversify.

All three of your films have depicted various characters’ grind in New York or Brooklyn. Does shooting in the city you’ve described as the “greatest in the world” present its share of challenges?
Well, I just wouldn’t have it any other way, really. It’s the city I love and live in, and have been for over ten years now. It’s endlessly fascinating and constantly changing. New York characters tend to be really interesting and neurotic, and I’ve gotten my career in narrative film based on personal experiences with my generation. I saw a void in authentic relationship stories in that genre, which is kind of what led me to these specific stories. I feel like there is a need, like with Lola Versus, to portray complex, interesting women in a more authentic way.

Gerwig and Linklater in 'Lola Versus'

After the release of Breaking Upwards, some writers began to peg you as your generation’s answer to Woody Allen. It would appear that you even see eye-to-eye with the Woodster about idiosyncratic blondes, as Gerwig also stars in his upcoming To Rome with Love. What do you make of the comparison?
It’s totally flattering, I’m happy to be compared to a young Woody Allen! I’ve definitely been inspired by Annie Hall and Manhattan and a lot of his movies of that era, not so much his recent films. He was a total pioneer, and I think what people are responding to between us is the fact that we are telling funny New York stories that are also poignant and real. We’re combining genres and tones – romance, comedy and drama – in a way that’s maybe unconventional and witty.
 

Lola Versus
Now in theatres 
foxsearchlight.com/lolaversus