Review: Frances Ha (2012) - Now on Blu-ray/DVD - NP Approved

Cast: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver
Director: Noah Baumbach
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Official Website: Here

Editor’s Notes:  Frances Ha is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Special Features include: New conversation between filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and Baumbach, New conversation between actor and filmmaker Sarah Polley and the film’s cowriter and star, Greta Gerwig, and A booklet featuring an essay by playwright Annie Baker.

Frances Ha is one of the most adorable, smart, and clever films of 2013. The film has a winning formula: sharp script, terrific direction, bold lead performance, memorable supporting cast and an overall positive message.

Frances (Greta Gerwig) is a New York woman struggling to make it in the real world. She’s an apprentice for a dance company, she teaches ballet lessons to young girls and spends her free time with her best friend Sophie (Mickey Sumner), they’re the same person with different hair. When Sophie decides to find another place, Frances must relocate, make new friends and find a new home. She’s a 27-year-old woman with no long-term goals and after her opening scene breakup, has no significant other. It’s at this point the audience may be divided in two: those rooting for Frances, and those rooting against Frances. This film is very much a glass half-full/half-empty kind of film. Some will connect with the Frances’ carefree, zero consequences approach to life. Others may find her immature behavior appalling.

 This film is very much a glass half-full/half-empty kind of film. Some will connect with the Frances’ carefree, zero consequences approach to life. Others may find her immature behavior appalling.

Picture yourself removing that filter we all have which prevents us from saying what we truly want to say. Frances has removed the filter. She spews what’s on her mind. Often times it’s hilarious because it’s so unexpected, so random and so honest. Frances is a youthful soul and her comedic timing is so off that you cannot help but laugh in all of her wonderful awkwardness. She says the wrong things at the wrong time, but her charm and timing makes it work. Baumbach (Writer/Director) and Gerwig poke fun at the way we interact on a daily basis, “So…what do you do?” Why do we feel the need to fill the void? Fill the uncomfortable silence with empty words?

Baumbach and Gerwig teamed up for an incredibly bold script. On paper, Frances and her friends can be viewed as bratty, highbrow 20-somethings that walked straight off the set of Lena Dunham’s, Girls. They don’t exactly sound like the most appealing people, but watching them interact is something special. Frances’ roommates Lev (Adam Driver) and Benji (Michael Zegen) play off of Frances’ magnetic charisma. Their on-screen chemistry is flawless. Watching Gerwig, Driver and Zegen interact with each other feels like the audience is a fly on the wall of obnoxious, self-aware artists based in New York. These Ray Ban wearin’, bagel eatin’, record collectin’ people appear to be self indulgent jerks but their charm oozes off the screen and pulls the audience in for a fun time.

On the topic of performances, Gerwig delivers the goods in a charming, sweet, honest portrayal of a woman finding herself in her late 20s. If you’re in the “glass half-full” crowd, Gerwig holds your hand through the entire film. She appears in nearly every frame. It’s evident this project is deeply personal to Gerwig, especially when one sequence takes her character to her hometown, Sacramento, CA. It’s worth noting that her parents are played by her real-life parents. Real life elements like that adds to the emotional soup brewed up by Baumbach and Gerwig. Some of Gerwig’s best moments are subtle, refrained emotion on-screen that will move you to tears of pure joy and sadness.

 On the topic of performances, Gerwig delivers the goods in a charming, sweet, honest portrayal of a woman finding herself in her late 20s. If you’re in the “glass half-full” crowd, Gerwig holds your hand through the entire film.

The soundtrack elevates the emotions felt on-screen and in the audiences’ hearts. Frances expresses pure exhilaration to the tune of David Bowie’s, “Modern Love.” Her sequence involves a tremendous tracking shot of her running and dancing through the streets of New York. Few of us would dare feel that happy and even fewer would express that joy so publicly. Once again, Frances’ filter is gone so she expresses her emotions in her own world.

On a technical level, Frances Ha is a remarkable achievement. The film was shot on a Canon 5D Mark II, and post converted to black and white. Digital cameras do not shoot in black and white, so for the duration of the shoot Baumbach and Sam Levy (Cinematographer) had to keep in mind the post-production process of converting a vibrant color film to black and white. Levy and Baumbach discuss the process on the Criterion Blu-ray and they should be applauded for the amount of preparation that went into the shooting of this film. Even before a script was written they were test-shooting Gerwig and another woman in the streets of New York, mastering their method of post-converting to black and white.

Sometimes we go to the movies to escape reality, other times a film like this sneaks up on you that may hit close to home. Frances Ha contains many themes the audience can relate to: growing up, friendship, romantic relationships, independence, life-changing choices, when to accept responsibility and seizing the day. There’s room to believe either side of the coin; it’s ok to be a free-roaming spirit when you’re 27, or you better have your act together by the time you’re 27. Frances Ha can serve as a cautionary tale or a relief to realize that you are not alone. Released in the spring of 2013, let’s hope this wonderful film does not get lost in the mix. The script is one of the best original scripts of the year. Whether you have loved, had a best friend or struggled to find your place in this world, Frances Ha has you covered. The film is a must see.

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Adrian Charlie

Staff Film Critic

I'm from Victoria BC and love watching films from all corners of the world. I'm fascinated by interpreting films and connecting with other film lovers. I love sharp, clever dialogue (QT), beautifully shot films (The Thin Red Line) and a filmmaker who trusts the audience to put it all together and leave room for discussion (PTA).

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