This is the type of indie drama I am always searching for: quiet, subtle, effortlessly funny, sweet, grounded.
_Frances Ha_ is a black and white drama with touches of comedy. There is not much in way of a story, we're simply following Frances as she lives her life, here and there. By itself, that sounds boring, however, Greta Gerwig is carrying the entire movie and making it look easy.
The simplicity and honesty here remind me of the best works from Woody Allen, which is the highest compliment I can give a comedy/drama.
The supporting cast are all pulling their weight as well. Still, the anchor is always Frances; I fell in love with her after a matter of minutes. I love how she's always running, and can't seem to catch a break, yet she's still positive because she has friends, and dreams.
While watching this, I immediately knew I wanted to watch it again. Though, I will say, don't watch this if you have anything else going on. You need to sit and watch this in silence, uninterrupted. I know there are moments I missed, since this is more about the acting, and dialog, and less about a full story. This is pure slice of life.
Really enjoyed this one. Gerwig and Baumbach knocked this out of the park.

I sometimes equate this movie to waking up from a satisfactory sleep with the perfect amount of alcohol in the good ol' intestines, slowly coming to the realization that you have shit to do, responsibilities to attend, new lies to create, new truths to discover. We find Frances in a similar state at the beginning of the film, though she has yet realized the consequences of her actions.

When her best friend, Sophie, decides to move out and pursue other goals, Frances initially ruminates in their apartment alone. Having broken-up with a boyfriend over her refusal to live with him, Frances bounces between living arrangements. For most of this film, all of Frances' decisions seem terminal, as she can never settle in one place - whether it be at Benji and Miles' bachelor pad, France, her parents' house in California, or a dorm at her old university; this coupled with her unfulfilling job as an extra dancer in her company. She soon abandons everything in the interim of Sophie's engagement and move to Japan.

For a comedy, the movie has a sadness to it that is inescapable, sadness due to the fact that throughout much of the movie, Frances is alone. The friends she makes come and go, not because she lacks the ability to keep them, but because of the turnstile nature of life. The paths she takes lack a certain introspection and responsibility. Benji's date even points out the superficial economic implications of using a credit card to travel to Paris for the weekend, whereas Frances is more concerned with reading Proust. She ultimately has to face the question of identity in a nomadic lifestyle, and decide between instability and control. It is this viewer's opinion that _Frances Ha_ reaches a conclusion located somewhere in the middle - in that gray area on a drunken night where the room spins around the bed, and the only reprieve is a foot placed on the floor.

Frances Ha worked really well for me. The performance from Greta Gerwig was brilliant, she carried the film. There is a perfect balance of quirky comedy and heartbreaking drama. I was giggling and tearing up constantly at the journey of Frances. But the overall story was a great ride that ends with such a satisfying conclusion. It is a fantastic feel-good story about self-discovery and perseverance. Noah Baumbach is not one of my favorite directors, but this was definitely a hit for me.

Score: 75%
Verdict: Good