Frances Halladay, an apprentice at a New York dance school, shares an apartment with her best friend Sophie in Brooklyn. The movie is the journey that Frances is compelled to take; searching for a friend, an apartment, and a stable income, when Sophie decides to move out.
Language:
English
Running Time:
86 min
Rating:
R
Release date:
17 May 2013
Directed by:
Noah Baumbach
Produced by:
Noah Baumbach
Scott Rudin
Rodrigo Teixeira
Lila Yacoub
Written by:
Noah Baumbach
Greta Gerwig
Starring:
Greta Gerwig
Mickey Sumner
Charlotte d’Amboise
Adam Driver
Michael Esper
Music by:
George Drakoulias
Shot by:
Sam Levy
Editing by:
Jennifer Lame
Distributed by:
IFC Films

What’s Hot

  • Greta Gerwig as Frances brings a lot of emotions and style to the screen with her performance. Her adorable portrayal of a never-give-up attitude along with innocence and involuntary slapstick one-liners add a charm to an otherwise monotonous movie. The final scene of inserting her name into postbox is a clincher.
  • Noah Baumbach has stuck to using black and white medium for his script, which is shouldered mainly by the depth and shades of characters. He succeeds in capturing all the minute details without colors, including the shots taken in night light.
  • Spanning over 86 minutes, Frances Ha is one of the most concise movies ever. The movie grows on the audience as Frances, like any other normal human being, is uncertain when faced with a situation and decides to go with the flow.
  • Though the movie centers on Frances, other characters dominate in their limited space. The portrayal of Sophie and Benji by Mickey Sumner and Michael Zegen respectively is worth a mention.

What’s Not

  • The film’s narrative does drift away from time-to-time and it takes some funny and awkward one-liner from Frances to pull the audience back into it.
  • The actual climax sequence is very rapid when compared to the story leading up to the climax. A lot has been left to the audience to understand and relate to. A slow and clear finale would have been more justifiable and apt.

Badges

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

A film that grows on you as it charts the path of an irrational & sometimes irritating dreamer, endearingly enacted by Greta Gerwig.