Frances Ha is a lot of things. It’s good(near great, even). It’s sweet. It’s smart. It knows what it’s like to chase adream that is constantly slipping through your fingers. It knows that we sometimesget in our own way, especially at the worst possible times. What it’s best at,though, is making a complete portrait of a person in her late 20s (Frances is27) who's borderline immature.
One gripecritics often voice is that the emotional centers of contemporary comedies tendto be immature dudes. That’s true. Does an immature dude make a comedy more orless funny? That’s an essay—not a review—for a different time. (Short version:Not inherently less funny.)
But Frances(a fine, funny and charming Greta Gerwig, who wrote the screenplay withdirector Noah Baumbach) is of that generation, the so-called millennials, whichwas told to follow its dreams. Live a life that makes you happy. Worry aboutthe other stuff later.
And maybe alife like that is immature. Who's to say? But one thing is certain: It can be ahard existence. Frances is constantly broke. She’s an apprentice dancer in asmall company. She’s good, but you can tell other dancers are better, and herenthusiasm is what’s keeping her afloat.
Franceslives with her best friend, Sophie (Mickey Sumner), in a Brooklyn apartment. Infact, Frances and Sophie are so close, their relationship as roommates sort ofbreaks up Frances and her boyfriend.
Theboyfriend asks Frances to move in. She knows their relationship isn’t at themove-in phase, and that the relationship may not be much of a relationship. Theboyfriend doesn’t quite get it, and she won’t tell him straight out, so shelets her apartment with Sophie be the excuse to not cohabit. She’s promptlybroken up with, and she joins Sophie and her friends Lev (Adam Driver) and Ben(Michael Zegen) at a house party like the break-up is no big deal.
And it’s nota big deal. Getting into the dance company is a big deal. Making rent is a bigdeal. Deciding whether to use an ATM that will charge a $3.00 out-of-networkfee is a big deal.
Sophieleaving the apartment to move to Soho is a big deal. Eventually, she leaves forTokyo with her boyfriend, Patch (Patrick Heusinger). It’s one of many thingsthat sends Frances into a tailspin.
Francesdoesn’t do herself any favors. She takes a poorly considered trip to Paris(financed on a credit card that came in the mail), and she turns down an officejob at her dance company to keep pursuing the dream. All the while, she movesfrom apartment to cheaper apartment in order to stay ahead of homelessness. Ina knowing way, major events in Frances’ life are tracked via title card withher current address on it.
Ultimately, FrancesHa is about making choices, taking advice and growing up, and it feels morereal than other comedies that are about taking responsibility. Maybe that’sbecause the story isn’t played for laughs, though it is meant to be funny.
The weightof the picture is on Gerwig, who delivers. She plays Frances as if her brainand mouth aren’t always in the same place, as if she’s trying to get the rightwords out without sounding like a nitwit or a crazy person. Ben, one ofFrances’ many roommates, calls her “undateable” for her ability to too oftensay something goofy.
Sam Levy’sblack and white photography shines a metaphorical spotlight on Frances thatmakes her experiences seem like the only experiences in the world. It’s a smartdevice, and it takes pressure off the clever screenplay, giving the audiencemore information about Frances’ status.
Baumbach andGerwig have done something wonderful with Frances Ha, giving us a leadcharacter at a crossroads without resorting to crazy plot twists or big ta-damoments. Life is often dramatic—and funny—enough on its own.
FRANCES HA
Directed by Noah Baumbach
With Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner and Adam Driver
CCA Cinematheque
86 min.
R
