Frances Ha (2012)

Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Written by: Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen 
Rated: R

I was surprised that upon leaving the theater after having seen Noah Baumbach's artsy explosion, "Frances Ha", there was no fixed gear bicycle ready to whisk me home. In a way the film and the fixie have a lot of common attributes: As far as bicycles are concerned this one is pretty pointless. They clip along pretty nicely but they never seem to be heading anywhere important. Hipsters love them. Even though they seem pretty irrelevant and a bit annoying they still have a quirky sort of charm that keeps you secretly wanting to buy one.

Co-writer Greta Gerwig displays some pretty impressive comedic chops as the 27-year-old would be dancer whose life seems to have stalled. Cleverly framed by all of her temp apartments over the course of several years, this is a story that tips its hat to every starving artist who ever chased a dream, even as they seemed increasingly unattainable. Jumping from job to job, moving in with strangers and bumming off of friends, losing men, losing money, losing pride, Frances still walks her manly walk and sets her sights on finally rising from the ranks of apprentice to full member in a contemporary dance troupe.

A part of me really hated this film. I think hipsters are the most annoying goddamn group of people that ever slithered their way into pop culture (although I do love the irony of that). Spending an hour and a half watching hack artists complain about their lack of success and how much they're struggling when there is no need for them to struggle really irks me. Of course, I assume quite a bit of it was pretty tongue and cheek and I certainly wouldn't classify the characters in the film as "hipster", but at the same time I know that the hipster community would love this movie and would probably watch it oblivious to the jabs at their expense.

I mean, this is set up as a coming of age story with an eccentric, half maddeningly stupid, half bumbling and charming woman trying to find her place in the world. And that would be all well and good were the character not dangerously close to reaching the big 3-0.  Then it really isn't so much coming of age as it is an irresponsible and completely childish woman who has never owned up to her responsibilities and is finally given a giant push into fixing her life. It's circumstance, not will power that encourages her into pushing aside lingering adolescence and accepting the sting of adulthood that awaits us all. Nothing is really her choice then, and that's wrong. We want so much to like Frances because the script is very sharp and character is written and played very funnily, but she's the cause of her own problems and she is the one who pushes others away.

Consider the relationship with her best friend Sophie, which is the continuing arc throughout the story. Frances leaves a very handsome man whom she was dating because she decided she would rather renew the lease on her apartment with Sophie than move in with Mr. Handsome Man. But it turns out that Sophie was already planning on moving into an apartment with another woman, and Frances is left with nothing. Other people, including Sophie, then move on and better themselves throughout the duration of a year or two years and Frances is left in a free fall, yet always clinging on to that one friendship. She may be 27, but she acts like a little girl who is afraid of change, one who just never let go of the fantasy of dressing in tutus and dancing for her mother.

I make the film out to be a lot heavier than it is. Sure, there are some pretty heavy moments, mostly fueled by too much wine or vodka, but for most of it the film is as light and fluffy as cotton candy. It really is very funny and there are some pretty inspired performances. Gerwig will probably grace marquees many times in years to come for deftly tapping into the growing trend that nerds and goofballs are cool. I liked the small jokes such as people being named things like Frances, Lev and Benji, and how it actually worked in glossy black and white. The cinematography was lovely, especially scenes shot in Paris, and I did leave happier than when I went in.

Analyzing it made me less pleased, but maybe I'm just turning into the crotchetiest 22-year-old ever. I suppose if I can condense it down it would be like this: Sophie mentions to Frances that Lev and Benji's apartment is "very aware of itself"--Sophie who wears grandpa glasses, and Frances who marvels at the joy of smoking indoors. Is the hypocrisy intentional? I'd like to think so, but my better judgment says no.

2.5/4