Much like a dance in itself, Frances Ha is an effortlessly flowing, beautifully shot, written and directed film.
For the record, despite what everyone thinks, I'm not 27. In fact, I'm not going to be 27 for a while. But this film's lively, whirlwind, slice-of-life style was so well made that it somehow made me feel that I've already lived the life of a 27-year-old in New York who didn't really know what she was doing, and it was absolutely delightful.
Speaking of whirlwind, I think that for a film that didn't really have a defined three-act structure and was more of (as I mentioned) a slice-of-life style dramedy, the storyline flows impeccably. I usually don't pay much attention to the editing a film unless it's really good or really bad, and in this case, I'm glad to say that it's the former - the quick, sharp cuts really emphasise the speed of life in a city like New York.
This flow is, of course, aided by what I think is the strongest part of the whole film - the script. It's funny in all the right places, but never forced, and never so over-the-top that it seems unrealistic. It's amusing enough to be entertaining but dramatic enough to feel real.
A lot of people have expressed annoyance over the "quirky NY millennial" characterisation of Frances and her friends. I never found that to be a problem - Baumbach and Gerwig's writing makes the characters interesting and lively without ever feeling too annoying. Frances' immaturity and childlike qualities were the point - the point being that it's okay not to always know what you're doing and take life as it comes.
The black-and-white is something that I've seen a few people raise an eyebrow about, and I myself think it's an interesting choice. The juxtaposition of the traditional "old-movie" black and white cinematography with a decidedly modern series of events created a very interesting and almost minimalist atmosphere. This film is supposed to be relatively low-key - it's not about massive events, it's about, well, just someone's life - and the minimalism provided by the black and white carries this perfectly.
In conclusion, watch this film - it's the perfect mix of light-hearted and dramatic, and even if you're not quite 27 yet or 27 was a while ago, the story will rope you in like no other.
-Sasha.
For the record, despite what everyone thinks, I'm not 27. In fact, I'm not going to be 27 for a while. But this film's lively, whirlwind, slice-of-life style was so well made that it somehow made me feel that I've already lived the life of a 27-year-old in New York who didn't really know what she was doing, and it was absolutely delightful.
Speaking of whirlwind, I think that for a film that didn't really have a defined three-act structure and was more of (as I mentioned) a slice-of-life style dramedy, the storyline flows impeccably. I usually don't pay much attention to the editing a film unless it's really good or really bad, and in this case, I'm glad to say that it's the former - the quick, sharp cuts really emphasise the speed of life in a city like New York.
This flow is, of course, aided by what I think is the strongest part of the whole film - the script. It's funny in all the right places, but never forced, and never so over-the-top that it seems unrealistic. It's amusing enough to be entertaining but dramatic enough to feel real.
A lot of people have expressed annoyance over the "quirky NY millennial" characterisation of Frances and her friends. I never found that to be a problem - Baumbach and Gerwig's writing makes the characters interesting and lively without ever feeling too annoying. Frances' immaturity and childlike qualities were the point - the point being that it's okay not to always know what you're doing and take life as it comes.
The black-and-white is something that I've seen a few people raise an eyebrow about, and I myself think it's an interesting choice. The juxtaposition of the traditional "old-movie" black and white cinematography with a decidedly modern series of events created a very interesting and almost minimalist atmosphere. This film is supposed to be relatively low-key - it's not about massive events, it's about, well, just someone's life - and the minimalism provided by the black and white carries this perfectly.
In conclusion, watch this film - it's the perfect mix of light-hearted and dramatic, and even if you're not quite 27 yet or 27 was a while ago, the story will rope you in like no other.
-Sasha.