monesque
Bring out the adjectives--charming, quirky, funny, gentle. The cast is good, but Gerwig is terrific as the hapless dancer. She's likeable and pathetic at the same time. Everyone knows she is going to have a problem making it as a dancer, except her. This is her version of planning: she thinks about 10 minutes ahead. A sudden trip to Paris--but only 2 days, and then credit card debt. She doesn't seem to have a moment of fun there. Poor Frances. She lurches from one moment to another, trying to figure out what life is and rarely succeeding. The journey is full of fun and laughter, though--well, at least for viewers. But eventually, the worm turns. Let's avoid spoilers and just say things change when Frances Halladay becomes Frances Ha. This is an indie film in the best sense of the genre, small scaled, but well crafted and thought out. Someone mentioned a Woody Allen-esque feel to it--and it does have some of those echoes, but just echoes. You can't dislike Frances. The film's a winner, too. Its wistful, understated feel is irresistible.
icequeen_vienna
Contrary to reviews, I did not find this film funny in the least. And why make it in black and white? To kid people that it's an 'arthouse' film? It's not. Frances got on my nerves with her 'loser' attitude. Also her friends got on my nerves. But then, twenty-somethings will probably find much to enjoy.Not my thing.
framptonhollis
So much fun, so funny, so moving and beautiful and real. "Frances Ha" has gotten a few less than favorable reviews from folks on this very site, but I must strongly object to said reviews. Personally, this is just my kind of movie I guess. It's mostly plotless, episodically following the main character, Frances, as she struggles to make money and keep friends in NYC. It's very much in that classic indie movie mold of "oft-romantically-involved, witty, well educated twentysomethings living their daily lives with plenty of comedy and drama to go around," but there really is something about "Frances Ha" that makes it so much more special than the average film that fits this formula. Basically, one of the very best things your independent film can have is a performance by the lovely and talented Greta Gerwig, particularly as your film's leading lady, and especially when she's playing a character as compelling as this. She is super likable in every single scene she's in, but she still makes a boatload of face palming mistakes throughout the course of the film, while still being so lovable that you can't help but be on her side. She's just such a wonderful character, and is played with so much genuine honesty and accuracy by Gerwig (probably partially because Gerwig herself acts a lot like this in real life considering her overall mood during interviews and (more triumphantly recently) award speeches) that this movie becomes so much fun to "hang out" with, sort of like "American Graffiti" or "The Breakfast Club" or "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" or "Dazed and Confused" (as well as "Slacker" and The "Before" Trilogy) or even "Boogie Nights" to a certain extent; these are all movies I love, and I am so very grateful that a film like "Frances Ha" can now join such a list!
jfgibson73
This is the first movie I've seen with Greta Gerwin, who is apparently a thing. I didn't dislike this movie, but it is full of all the moments that make up your typical indie art film. If you usually find them pretentious, that's probably how you'll see Frances Ha. I guess the idea is that the movie is more of a series of moments than a linear narrative. I didn't feel that it had the typical storytelling arc for the character to follow. I also didn't understand what we were supposed to think about the many odd choices the main character makes. She lies needlessly, makes some impulsive decisions, fails to take risks on other occasions, and just generally doesn't seem to have any consistent motivation throughout. You could say that the point is that she is a case of arrested development and hasn't figured out how to be an adult at a time when things should be falling into place in her life, but it starts and ends with her in pretty much the same place and doesn't add up to anything other than 90 minutes of a mildly interesting look into this character's life. Not really enough to warrant a film, but anyone who usually enjoys Baumbach's films should be just as happy with this one.
AD
