Frances Ha ** (R) Noah Baumbach has earned respect in Indie circles for his writing and directing, particularly with films like Greenberg, The Squid and the Whale and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Greta Gerwig is an appealing young actress, whose looks don’t overshadow the inner sweetness and vulnerability she can project. That combo should have made this dramedy about a likable woman’s quests for a career in modern dance, love, and perhaps an affordable New York apartment more engaging than it became. Frances is surrounded by an interesting cast of peers, parents and professors as she tries to make the best of rather marginal sets of terpsichorean and social skills. We empathize and hope she finds happiness, but the odds never seem to tip in her favor. She even has trouble hanging onto her lifelong best pal, Sophie (Sting’s daughter, Mickey Summer).
Perhaps there have been too many films about twentysomethings looking for their niches for this one to stand out from the pack. Or maybe I’m too far past that age to relate to their reasons for angst as well as before. A third factor might be how Baumbach’s decision to shoot the whole thing in B&W turned me off as pointlessly, and self-consciously artsy. That device makes sense in some cases. The Artist was the best recent example, since it was a silent film about that era. Budget and location limits for some entry-level projects might also compel economizing. But neither seems applicable to this one, which particularly shortchanges the audience on scenes in Paris and other spots that screamed for being shown in their natural states of color. Why imitate early Woody Allen, when he’s moved on?
Gerwig’s character, unlike the actress playing her, lacks the talent to ever become more than a minor member of any company, making her persistence both admirable and touching. Her troubles in maintaining an address or a relationship are cut from the same psychic cloth. But there’s little that’s new or insightful in Frances’ tale, with the possible exception of finally learning how the movie got its title. Gerwig could become more of a star, but she’ll need better vehicles than this. (5/24/13)