Frances Ha (Mini Review)

Brandon Thompson
Jan 24, 2018
3 min read

Few performances of recent memory are a narrative asset the way Greta Gerwig is in 2012’s ‘Frances Ha’. Directed by her future partner Noah Baumbach and co-written between the pair. This film is the embodiment of the struggle sthat Gen X, Y and now Baby Boomers face in our world today. Frances (Gerwig) is a dancer at a company but is in the reserve and she teaches kids to make ends meet. She lives with her best friend but they end up moving out and their friendship, which they both believed was a strong one, eventually dwindles. This marks a new chapter in Frances’s life but she struggles to choose a direction to move in.

A generation of people in their 20s (and early 30s) discovering themselves is something that wasn’t around 50 years ago. If films like Rebel Without a Cause represent the start of ‘teenagers’, then mumblecore (which Baumbach's films are certainly rooted in) are the films of the people in their 20s. Most of these films are inspired by their director’s own lives, struggling to make a living and Frances is certainly inspired by both Gerwig and Baumbach.

While watching this film my sister made a comment on how fake Gerwig sounds but that’s part of the brilliance in her performance. She’s a determined woman who has a plan and wants to do it her own way. Naturally, when someone tries to push her down a different path she hesitates. Hence she is a narrative asset to the film, which is driven more by character than plot. She's a free spirit that doesn't want other people telling her stuff she doesn't want to hear. In a way she is a person so many of us yearn to be but able to take those risks.

The 16mm, black and white cinematography grounds the film in reality. This isn’t a fairytale story that belongs in the vein of the American Dream. This is someone has to face reality and make the best of it that she can instead of hoping things will get better. The editing manages to reflect France’s character. One moment that really worked was when she was offered a bagel but was about to run errands. Then cut to her eating a bagel. The moment in the gap between the two scenes is obvious to us. She folded in. Edit: I have been informed it was shot on a Canon 5D dslr not 16mm film.

This is a film that speaks to the zeitgeist of people in their 20s and doesn’t get carried away with the narrative too much. Frances may not take the logical route in life yet we sympathise with her. Then we realise we make the same mistakes in life and then grow closer to empathise with her. The film follows this cycle but it’s such an effective one.

I first watched this when I was about 16 and before I went to film school. Now I'm approaching 20 and finished film school. This film now makes sense emotionally and I can also now admire its technical achievement.

Also, the film is in the Adam Driver.

Overall Score: 10/10

What are your thoughts on this film?

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