Rent Frances Ha (2012)

Much acclaimed but actually rather hollow - Frances Ha review 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?

Not so much a comedy, more a sad film - Frances Ha review by AJ

I didn't feel as critical as the other reviewers here. If you're familiar with other Noah Baumbach films then you'll recognise his style and won't be surprised. For me though it was really painfully sad in many places. Not a comedy at all. Frances is however stoic to the end and shows us what she can pull off in the last frames. It's painful because it depicts a clumsiness, loneliness and vulnerability much many of us have known at times, even if we might not have phrased in the same "pseudo-intellectual" or "psycho-babble" way the film depicts.

Tell me the story of us ... - Frances Ha review by Tam

I don't usually read title reviews on Cinema Paradiso but for some reason scrolled down to read reviews for Frances Ha, having watched the movie twice in the space of a week and enormously enjoyed it both times... Well I felt these reviews were nearly all so small-minded and mean-spirited I had to write my own very first review as some kind of balance!

Frances Ha is a wonderful bittersweet comedy featuring a vibrant and affecting performance by Greta Gerwig, in many ways this performance and her co-writing of the witty and penetrating screenplay foreshadows her talents coming to fruition in the excellent Ladybird some 5 years later ... Frances Ha is a coming of age story, as the adult realities of earning a living and a place in the world gradually eat away at the naive dreams and fantasies of Frances , emotionally still a child and struggling hard against giving up her ideals and innocence. It's also an unconventional love story, and whilst frequently very, very funny sometimes has moments of real pathos verging on despair.

Other reviewers have posted negative comments due to the rich, entitled nature of the characters ... Well Frances is not rich, it's made clear her family is neither and those characters who are indeed rich and entitled are explicitly labelled as such in the script, implicitly criticised and openly made fun of. The point is Frances is a lost soul and moving through these worlds she doesn't belong in is part of her journey towards finding herself and a place in life; the job, the home and the friendship we all need.

The film looks gorgeous in its black and white cinematography, a homage perhaps to several other classic New York set movies, and it has a great soundtrack with some exceptionally well placed pop classics ... I can't recommend it highly enough, please watch without prejudice and preconceptions and you may find yourself discovering a real gem.