Director: Noah Baumbach
Screenplay: Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Charlotte d'Amboise, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen
Running Time: 86 minutes
Genre: Comedy drama
Frances (Gerwig) is a struggling 27 year old dancer living in New York City with her best friend Sophie (Summer). Her life is upended when Sophie announces that she plans to move to a more upmarket neighbourhood, which Frances can't afford, forcing her to find somewhere else to live, while trying to make ends meet.
Photographed in shimmering monochrome, this virtually plotless film is more a glimpse into the life of Frances, an ambitious young woman, trying to make her own way in the Big Apple, albeit without much success. Frances herself is frequently frustrating, impulsive and irritating, but is never unsympathetic or unlikeable. She makes bad decisions and frequently gets herself into trouble. Early in the film she breaks up with her boyfriend because she doesn't want to move in with him and she really shows very little interest in dating anyone, although one of her roommates does seem to be interested in her. The big relationship in Frances' life is her friendship with Sophie, and this film portrays friendship in a beguiling and very relatable way. The two share jokes, and tell each other pretty much everything from their deepest secrets and hopes and fears to something funny that one of them sees on the way to the grocery store. They fight, they argue, they get on each other's nerves, but the bond is always there. Even Sophie's fiance, and Frances' jealousy, doesn't destroy their bond.
While the loose, plotless nature of the film may put off some viewers, and some may find Frances deeply annoying, this is a smart and funny film, which has a lot to say about friendship and finding a place for yourself in the world. Certainly the biggest asset to the film is Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the film with director Noah Baumbach and stars as Frances. Charismatic and quirky, with a mix of exuberance, dorkishness and vulnerability, she owns the film, and is in virtually every scene. Recently Greta Gerwig has spent more time behind the camera than in front of it, as the writer and director of acclaimed films Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019), and this is a reminder of what a great actress she is.
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