Frances Ha Review
Noah Baumbach is back with his follow up to 2010's Greenberg with Frances Ha, a remarkable comedy revolving around the life of a discontented aspiring dancer.
The film follows many of the same thematic traits as Noah's previous films; the life of a New Yorker, the problems one faces when trying to achieve their dreams and the awkwardness of real life relationships. This time the story is focused on 27 year old Frances, a woman trying to achieve her dreams of being a dancer in New York City. Baumbach tackles the subject in a lighthearted and whimsical manner, clearly taking inspiration from a range of different filmmakers and eras. As the narrative progresses and Frances faces problem after amusing problem, it was clear that Baumbach has been influenced by the mumblecore movement and Lena Dunham's work. The sheer awkwardness of the main character, and her seemingly fearless and blunt 'say it how it is' attitude reminded me of Dunham's Girls and Tiny Furniture, both of which are favourites of mine. It's no surprise then that I found Frances to be endearing and lovable, although many people will be turned off by her attitude and loathe her immature and care free spirit. In terms of narrative, the film plays it safe, opting for a familiar take on the New York story. The witty script and visual beauty more than make up for the slightly weak narrative, and for me Frances' dialogue alone is worth the admission fee.
Technically the film is a marvel, utilising black and white to give the film a Godard new wave look, it bursts with life and beauty. The hipster vibe works incredibly well in Frances Ha, the stark cinematography clashes with the realist deadpan humour, creating a mish mash of realist and modernist styles working well within the frame. The soundtrack is again fantastic, with the rock sounds of T-Rex and Bowie coupled with the cheesy funk of Hot Chocolate once again clashing in a way that feels right for the film. Performance wise, the cast are all wonderful, with the obvious standout being Greta Gerwig as Frances. The lead performance is what makes the film, in the same way that Dunham carries her own work, the same can be said for Gerwig, appearing to be improvising her lines on the spot mumblecore style. Gerwig's standout scene has to be the moment she begins an impromptu dance through the streets of New York with a roaring Bowie song playing in the background, surely the most potentially iconic scene from the film. Mickey Summer as France's best friend Sophie plays a great part too, with the chemistry between them making it appear as though the two have known each other for years.
Frances Ha shines above this summer's films as a beacon of hope, a sign that there are still talented and original works being created among the same old genre films. The film is worth seeing for Greta's performance alone, a hilariously awkward, yet grounded and real role that you will either love or hate. Frances Ha is a film that anyone with a taste for deadpan and witty humour or mumblecore should see, a sublime comedy and one of the best films of the year.
9/10
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