Film Review: Frances Ha

“Sometimes it’s good to do what you’re supposed to do, when you’re supposed to do it” – Frances Ha

Just in case you didn’t know, I’m a massive fan of HBO’s GIRLS. Lena Dunham and her portrayal of lead character Hannah Horvath, struggling to find her way in Brooklyn, can seem a generic concept – it’s definitely been done before. But something about it works for me. As a mid-twentysomething myself, I hugely identify with this seemingly current trend of flaky, ‘work in progress’ female characters.

Hearing comparisons of GIRLS to new film, Frances Ha, I had to see what everyone was talking about. Starring similarly quirky Greta Gerwig, known for starring in last year’s indie hit Damsels in Distress, her new effort is brilliant.

But it shouldn’t just be compared to GIRLS – yes ok they are both set in New York about two young women trying to ‘find their way’. But rather than GIRLS’ portrayal of ‘this is how some people live and their lives aren’t that interesting’, Frances Ha is about a young woman trying to fit in with modern life desperately but massively failing – and ultimately realising you are happier when you just be yourself.

Directed by Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale and Greenberg) it’s a whimsical film shot in a black and white palette, adding to the slight melancholy of the film. It’s black and white hue can also be seen as an homage to it’s French new wave influences and alludes to Woody Allen’s earlier movies Manhattan and Stardust Memories. Greta is co-writer and star of the film, along with being Noah’s muse. The two clearly gel as the resulting film is a gorgeous low-key lament on the life of one Frances Ha.

Managing to be utterly useless and equally beguiling, Greta is Frances Halladay. Her name is truncated to make a snappy title, that cleverly seems to mock her due to the loss of the exclamation mark and shows her lack of being ‘complete’ just yet…

Frances is 27 years old, permanently broke, and a commitment phobe. An aspiring dancer and choreographer (but not a very successful one). So far, not so good. Greta then breaks up with her boyfriend, leaving her to focus on her friendship with her ‘BFF’ Sophie (played convincingly by Sting’s daughter, Mickey Sumner). But it quickly becomes apparent that even Frances can’t do friendship right and she massively over-estimates this relationship which seems only half-reciprocated. Sophie promptly moves out onto bigger and better things, leaving Frances bedhopping and couch surfing across New York to a David Bowie soundtrack. Set to a score of utter classics such as Bowie’s Modern Love, Every 1’s a Winner by Hot Chocolate, Rocks Off by The Rolling Stones and other French inspired scores by Georges Delerue, this movie makes you feel a bit more hip by just watching it.

This isn’t a film with a clear narrative, rather we are taken along with Frances on her unexpected adventures and shown glimpses of her life through short scenes and sketches patchworked together. Throughout the film we accompany the hapless leading lady and her lovable naïveté outside of New York to Poughkeepsie, to Christmas with her parentals in Sacremento (who were actually played by her real folks) all the way to Paris – scenes which brilliantly punctuate the capital’s influences throughout the whole film.