sexwizardmoustache This is the most accurate depiction that I've seen of life in your twenties, trying to make it in a big city. Just failing miserably at life, jobs, apartments, share housing, money, friends, relationships, but finally getting there towards the end, even though it's not how you imagined. It is the antithesis of every romcom that perpetuates the illusion that everything is supposed to fall in your lap. It's funny that we tend to be preconditioned to think that way based on clichéd movies and then are bitterly disillusioned when faced with a much harsher reality. No, great apartments, jobs and relationships aren't easy to find or keep, friendships don't always work out the way you hoped and dreams aren't always realised the way you thought they would be. But then there's that triumphant moment, when all that is behind you, and you've finally found yourself and your place in the world. And I think that moment is beautifully encapsulated in the final scene when Frances is smiling to herself in her own apartment and gets to put her name on her very own mailbox. I can definitely relate and still remember the feeling of finding my first apartment in the city, and that glorious sense of independence and self sufficiency of finally knowing everything is going to be alright. This movie is so real, and is pretty much the most unpretentious and relatable "indie" flick I've ever seen. Loved this so much more than I expected and I would watch it again.

glorious_alien The film is really well made, but the characters are absolutely repulsive. The main character, Frances, is beyond annoying. This level of immaturity is hard to watch for someone like me who has had to be responsible from very early on. I don't understand anything about the title character and her directionless life, she is like the holy fool from the tarot deck, only upside down where all the sweet characteristics are exaggerated to the point where they are not an asset but a liability. I don't know if I can finish watching this movie, it seems to be praising all the things I loathe. I am writing as I am watching. And hey, the movie is over. What a waste of time this was.

Beto Ramona This beautiful mumblecore is the typical story of growth and denial. The film tells Frances' story. An aspiring dancer in her late twenties, who looks for her path to maturity in the New York jungle.The film was shot in black/white, perhaps as an attempt to recreate La Nouvelle Vague, so we cannot talk about cromatism itself, but it actually has some nice planes, as the very first one, who irradiates the beauty of youth. However, the core and climax of the story can be traced on the quote said by Frances, having lunch with her new roommate and friends: "Sometimes it's good to do what you're supposed to do, when you're supposed to do it." This phrase is true. She was right, but she didn't understand it then. In most part of the movie she's trying to avoid that sentence. She cannot understand that she needs to take some responsibility, to start building her life brick by brick. She represents everything young adults are today. They want everything right now and with less effort. But they're in a boggy path too, they're fragile and still naive. They're crossing the street between childhood and maturity, as she did in one of those iconic planes in the film. And that's not a easy job, to be honest.In addition, the quote shows that she was struggling with herself, when she could just let things happen and 'go with the flow'. "I'm not a real person yet", she confessed. She was confused and a little sad because all of her friends and acquaintances were kind of fine, stable and, probably, with a well-known future, while she was fighting just to keep a stable place to live. This happen to all of us sometime. Not in the same way, but the same topic. There are moments when you feel that everyone is doing it better than you so you get a little mad with yourself. I think Baumbach was trying to show how things will be alright if you just do what you're supposed to do, when you have to, albeit, it's important to point out this is not always true. To finish, I'd say it's not about being conformist, but realistic. When she understood that, she was happy.Well done, Noah. A simple film with a simple story well developed, integrally. The photography is okay, the script is fine (nothing pretentious), and the acting is fresh and natural, kind of "no-totally-actors", but I enjoy it, somehow, so... 7,5/10.

Horst in Translation ([email protected]) I am probably going to watch Noah Baumbach's newest "While We're Young" tomorrow, so why not give one of his other films a watch as an appetizer. I watched "Frances Ha" in theater shortly after it came out pretty much exactly 2 years ago and I remember really enjoying it. None of this is lost on rewatch. I have a soft spot for modern black-and-white movies and this one is no difference. I felt there was something truly raw and authentic about everything in here, especially the characters' interactions and dialogs. Apart from that, there is some great music in here, especially the David Bowie song, but also "Everyone's a Winner". Lead actress Greta Gerwig scored a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal here and it was very deserved I must say, especially as she also came up with the excellent script. I don't want to quote many parts of this film that I found particularly successful, but I have to mention Frances' monologue at the dinner party which was just an amazing piece of acting and storytelling and, of course, the reference to that in the last scene of the movie is also spot-on.It is probably not my number 1 favorite film from 2012, but it's possibly the one film from that year that succeeds the most at combining drama and comedy. There are not that many dramatic moments, but her general life struggles and also crumbling relationships certainly deliver. And this is also a truly hilarious film. Frances is such a goofy, likable, relatable character that it's a complete joy to watch her, for example when she sleeps all the time when she is in France. The restaurant scene was excellent with her running off to get some money to pay. Or the quotes are sometimes hilarious too, for example about a certain French writer being "heavy". It's all very smart, yet never full of itself. It was such a joy to watch Frances have a great night at one point when her new friends ask her to dance and she dances all the way home as well. I would almost want to call this film a must-see, especially for filmmakers who want to come up with a quality comedy film. These 80 minutes (very short film, never drags for a second) were a wonderful experience and I truly hope that Baumbach and Gerwig can repeat this achievement as often as possible. Highly recommended.