A dad and daughter mix like oil, water

Rebecca Miller’s acclaimed new film, “The Ballad of Jack and Rose,” deals with the complex, tightly knit relationship between a man and his teenager daughter. The new French film “Look at Me,” which opens Friday, offers a vastly differently examination of a similar relationship.

Directed and co-written by Agnes Jaoui, “Look at Me” is a provocative comedy-drama about Lolita (Marilou Berry), an overweight young woman who struggles to win the affection of her father (Jean-Pierre Bacri). He, however, isn’t simply an everyday Parisian but rather a famous writer and publisher who has an ego as big as the Eiffel Tower and is an insufferable boor to boot.

Without his love and attention, Lolita struggles to find herself in the world; after failing as an actress, she’s hoping to succeed as a professional opera singer. She discovers that most everyone who befriends her, including her on-again, off-again boyfriend, really is interested in meeting her father.

Jaoui plays Lolita’s voice teacher, who happens to be married to a pessimistic writer (Laurent Greveil). She too ends up taking advantage of her relationship with Lolita to further her husband’s career.

“Look at Me,” released as “Comme une image” in France and as “Cosi fan tutti” in Italy, was nominated for the Palm d’Or at Cannes last year; Jaoui and Bacri won for best screenplay.

A popular actress in France for more than two decades, Jaoui made her directorial debut five years ago with “The Taste of Others,” which she also co-wrote with Bacri.