Film Review: Frances Ha. Director: Noah Baumbach.

Hello, everyone! I wish you all a very happy friendships day and hope you are all doing well! On this joyous occasion, I shall be reviewing Frances Ha: a film that is an ode to friendships. 

In the Japanese culture, it is said that a man has three faces: the first is the one he shows to his colleagues and bosses; the second is the one he shows to his friends and family, and the third is the one with which he goes to sleep. Fascinatingly, this principle does not apply to Frances, who is original and good-hearted. 

But, as often happens with good-hearted people who wear their hearts on their sleeves, Frances is broke. A broke ballet dancer in New York in  her late twenties who does not even have an apartment to stay in, but having an indefatigable zeal to make it. 

The film, in spite of having released in 2012 is picturised in black and white, indicative of the fact that even when technology changes with time, some things remain the same. Frances has many acquaintances, but shares a true friendship with her college friend, Sophie, an exact opposite of Frances. 

The friendship shared by Frances and Sophie is so real that it would make the audience remember and think of their friend who was with them through thick and thin. 

'Frances Ha' also deals with having an identity crisis (age no bar), naturally comparing one's lack of progress to the outstanding achievements of others, the shame in asking parents for financial help, but mostly it aims to present friendships. The audience will definitely think of the time they were struggling hard to make ends meet and the importance of that struggle. 

While watching the film, the audience can relate to Frances, with relation to her struggles and at the same time learn from her. Her kindness to herself and to others despite her circumstances is illumining. Frances is someone we all have known and have been. The realistic characters, and the reasonable amount of time taken for the character development  makes the film a worth watch. It would be better for an adult to watch the film sans family. 

Greta Gerwig, who plays Frances, Mickey Sumner who plays Sophie are par excellence in their jobs and have done justice to their roles. Even though Adam Driver has a very small part as Lev Shapiro, he spews magic with his presence. The subtle yet poignant direction, along with the tasteful background music is something the audience would definitely like. 

The film definitely has a dark reality as its central theme, but the success of the film is in the levity of its presentation. Rich with witticisms, humor, intellectual conversations and millennial conundrums, 'Frances Ha' is a film everyone must watch. 

MY TAKE: 9/10. 

Author: Ms. Radhika Sunil Vaidya

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