Film Reviews by ID

I opted to give this film 2 stars as 'Hated it' seemed too negative a rating with regards to how I feel about this film. Despite much acclaim, it is a curiously unengaging work by a director (Noah Baumbach) who is in danger of riffing on the same quirky terrain with inevitable diminishing returns. Quirkiness has its charm, but as recent efforts by Wes Anderson have demonstrated it can grate in the absence of progression and adopting new ideas and approaches.

As hinted at by other reviews posted here, Gerwig's character's personal and professional predicaments seem hipster niche problems that might indicate that the film has managed to find favour with those privileged enough to relate to them (given the hype and rave notices). However, the level of self-indulgence displayed probably accounts for why it is so difficult to find this film, its characters and milieu at all appealing in any way. For starters, the fact that 'Frances Ha' is shot artfully in black and white cannot hide the lack of an engaging narrative or character at its heart. Its sum total is a collection of scenes that are devoid of the charm and wit to make such a quirky character driven piece like 'Frances' work in the first place.

I came to the film with an open heart and mind, but actually felt quite low in spirits after reflecting on how such a vacuous film had managed to garner such acclaim. Are such films the cultural products we deserve when we accept that style and substance are not complimentary bedfellows?