Noah Baumbach’s dazzling 1995 debut – Kicking and Screaming – is about a group of sophisticated but lazy college graduates who refuse to move on with their lives. They sit around having philosophical conversations, postponing their professional lives and refusing to face reality.

Baumbach’s latest protagonist – the 27-year old Frances – does not seem entirely different. She may not be as much of a layabout as the aforementioned liberal arts loafers but she is most certainly still a child.

Frances (Greta Gerwig) and Sophie (Mickey Sumner) are best friends; that is, until the latter moves out of the same apartment to live with her boyfriend. This destroys their long-standing friendship and leaves the self-proclaimed “undateable” Frances friendless, forcing her to finally figure out how to live her own life….

The Queen of Quirk – Greta Gerwig – is once again typecast as the goofy, foolishly idealistic and idiosyncratic protagonist in an eponymous role she co-wrote with Baumbach. Do we mind? Not really. She plays the part to perfection, winning the audience’s approval during the opening montage of the picture. Her story is believable: we’ve all encountered a Frances along the way – that one graduate who’s directionless, irrational and oh-so spontaneous with decisions – ring any bells? (If you can’t think of anyone, it’s probably you….) Yet, for all their flaws, you can’t help but adore them. This is Frances, in a nutshell, and it is her likeable character that holds the entire picture together.

Baumbach reveals Frances to us in short bursts – to reflect her erratic, fickle personality – and titles each section of the picture by address (to denote her current position). Whilst the titles are characteristic of his early work, Baumbach’s ultra-brief glimpses into Frances’ life are new to his style, signaling his transformation as a director.

 

 

Director of Photography Sam Levy’s intimate black and white portraits fondly remind one of Raoul Coutard’s work on Francois Truffaut’s Antoine Doinel trilogy. An example would be the choreographed performance at the end of the picture, in which the camera focuses on each of Frances’ delighted friends, portraying her progression as an individual.

Is Frances Ha anywhere near as magnificent as Truffaut’s classics? Or as impressive as Baumbach’s chef d’oeuvre, The Squid and the Whale? Not really. But it’s still a thoroughly entertaining story of friendship and one girl’s struggle to figure herself out.

Go watch it. Trust me, it’ll leave you feeling incredibly satisfied.

 

 

 

Stars - ★★★

Reviewed by Rehan Mudannayake

 

Frances Ha (2012)

Comedy | Drama

Plot: A story that follows a New York woman (who doesn't really have an apartment), apprentices for a dance company (though she's not really a dancer), and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles.

Director: Noah Baumbach

Writers: Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig

Stars: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver