Stars to Watch: Part 14 – Movies Spotlight – September 2014

Adams Driver

What He Has Been In:

Adam Driver, 30, graduated from Juilliard in 2009 and began looking for work in New York City as an actor. After some television work, he started getting supporting roles in more notable films such as J. Edgar, Lincoln, Frances Ha, Inside Llewyn Davis, and What If (a great romantic comedy that came out this past August). His film work has made him an in-demand actor. But, it is on television where Driver has really shined.

Driver’s big break came on HBO’s dramedy series Girls, created by Lena Dunham. He plays Adam the boyfriend character of Dunham’s Hannah. Driver is fantastic on the series, making a name for himself. He is funny and very emotionally emotive with incredible charisma.

September Film:

Driver has two films slated for release in September. The first is Tracks. It is about a young Australian woman who embarks on a trek across the West Australian desert with only her four camels and trusted dog. Driver plays a journalist coving the story who also falls for the young woman. It stars Mia Wasikowska and is directed by John Curran. The film looks like it might be the month’s best drama. Here is the trailer.

The second is the ensemble comedy This Is Where I Leave You from Shawn Levy. In addition to Driver, it also features Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, and Jane Fonda (among others). It looks like a decent comedy (maybe worth renting). Here is the trailer.

Upcoming:

Driver’s upcoming schedule is packed with high profile projects. First he is in Noah Baumbach’s new dramedy While We’re Young, which also stars Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, and Amanda Seyfriend. Then, he is in the Jeff Nichols sci-fi drama Midnight Special with Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton, and Michael Shannon (it is a film I am very excited to see in 2015). After that, he can be seen in J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: Episode VII. He is rumored to be playing one of the film’s main villains. Finally, he also has a role in Martin Scorsese’s next drama Silence about seventeenth century Jesuit priests who are persecuted in Japan. The film also stars Andrew Garfield, Ken Watanabe, and Liam Neeson (who played an 18^th century Jesuit priest in The Mission).

Career Highlights:

1)      Girls (2012-present)* – lead (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

2)      Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)* – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

3)      What If (2014) – supporting (Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Bill Hader

What He Has Been In:

Bill Hader, 36, is known for playing very funny characters on television and in films. He got his start in Los Angeles when he joined Second City. From there, he was added to the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2005, where he became a fan favorite during his nine years on the show.

Hader is one of the great comedy actors to find himself often cast by Judd Apatow in his many projects. Hader is fantastically funny, creating great characters with small supporting roles in films, such as: Knocked Up, Hot Rod, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Adventureland, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Paul, Monsters University, and They Came Together (which came out earlier this summer).

He also continues to do fun work on television with parts in The Venture Bros., The Mindy Project, and Bob’s Burgers.

September Film:

Hader appears in two films. The first is the dramedy The Skeleton Twins. It is about two estranged twins who almost die on the same day. Shaken up, they decide to try and reconcile their relationship. He co-stars with Kristen Wiig. It is one of Hader’s first leading roles. It looks like a very good drama and should lead to bigger things for him. Here is the trailer.

The second is the romance drama The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them. It stars Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy. Hader plays a supporting role. The film was initially split into two films, one from the woman’s perspective and one from the man’s. It has now has been combined for theatrical release; however, critics claim that it worked much better as two separate films. Here is the trailer.

Upcoming:

Hader has some great projects on his upcoming schedule. Next summer he co-stars in the comedy Trainwreck, written by and starring Amy Schumer (maybe the funniest comic right now). It is directed by Judd Apatow and has a fantastic ensemble supporting Schumer and Hader including: Daniel Radcliffe, Brie Larson, Tilda Swinton, Ezra Miller, and Marisa Tomei. Then, he has voice roles in two Pixar films. The first is Inside Out, about a young girl named Riley who is uprooted from her life in the Midwest and moved to San Francisco. Riley is guided by her emotions, but the move allows her negative emotions to try and take over. Hader voices Fear. The second is The Good Dinosaur, about a 70-foot-tall teenage Apatosaurus who befriends a human boy.

Career Highlights:

1)      Saturday Night Live (2005-2013) – lead

2)      Hot Rod (2007) – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

3)      Superbad (2007) – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

4)      Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)* – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

5)      Adventureland (2009)* – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Analeigh Tipton

What She Has Been In:

Analeigh Tipton, 25, got her start as a figure skater as a juvenile. She then pursued a modeling career. She placed third on Cycle 11 of America’s Next Top Model in 2008. She then got into film and television. She started off fairly quickly with roles in The Green Hornet, Crazy, Stupid, Love., Damsels in Distress, and Warm Bodies. She also had a reoccurring role in season three of HBO’s Hung.

Recently, Tipton featured in a supporting role in this summer’s action blockbuster Lucy. She also starred in the short film/commercial The Power Inside. It is weird and fun.

September Film:

Tipton stars opposite Miles Teller (who is also a star to watch featured this month) in the romantic comedy Two Night Stand in September. The film looks rather generic, but Tipton and Teller are good young actors. If they are able to find chemistry together, it could end up being a very fun film. Here is the trailer.

Upcoming:

Upcoming, Tipton has maybe her most high profile acting jobs to-date. First, she stars in her own new sitcom on ABC. It is called Manhattan Love Story and is about the inner workings of the mind of a young man and young woman as they begin a new relationship. It co-stars Jake McDorman and is created by Jeff Lowell. Then in 2015, she stars opposite Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn, and Sienna Miller in writing/directing team Anna Boden and Ryan Feck’s new drama Mississippi Grind, about two down on their luck guys who go on a road trip through the South.

Career Highlights:

1)      Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

2)      Damsels in Distress (2011) – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

3)      Warm Bodies (2013) – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Miles Teller

What He Has Been In:

Miles Teller, 27, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, appearing in many short films. He made his feature debut in 2010’s Rabbit Hole. He then took roles in lots of films geared towards teenagers, including: Footloose, Project X, 21 & Over, That Awkward Moment, and Divergent.

While Rabbit Hole did showcase Teller’s talent as an actor, it is his performance in James Ponsoldt’s The Spectacular Now, opposite Shailene Woodley, that really caught people’s attention (including mine). He is very good in the film, playing the lead Sutter. His emotional range is wonderful and his chemistry with Woodley is palpable.

September Film:

Like Analeigh Tipton, Teller stars in September’s Two Night Stand. Here is the trailer.

Upcoming:

Teller has his best and biggest projects upcoming. First, he stars in the Sundance Film Festival winning drama Whiplash, playing an aspiring drummer who is brutalized verbally and emotionally by his teacher. Then, Teller stars as Mr. Fantastic in Josh Trank’s reboot of The Fantastic Four. Also joining Teller in the film are Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Michael B. Jordan. Teller is also attached to a sequel. After that, Teller returns for the Shailene Woodley led YA sci-fi sequel to Divergent, Insurgent. Finally, Teller is slated to reunite with his Whiplash writer/director Damien Chazelle in the musical dramedy La La Land (the director has also stated that he would like Emma Watson to co-star).

Career Highlights:

1)      Rabbit Hole (2010) – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

2)      Project X (2012) – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

3)      The Spectacular Now (2013)* – lead (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

What If (2014) – Review

Review: What If is a generic romantic comedy, and yet it is highly enjoyable, sweet, and quite funny.

The film is about Wallace and Chantry. Wallace is a young med school dropout who is very cynical about love after his relationship failed with his latest girlfriend. Chantry is a young animator who is happily in a relationship with Ben (a successful U.N. negotiator); they have been together for five years. Wallace and Chantry meet at a mutual friend’s (Ben’s best friend Allan is also Chantry’s cousin) house party and immediately hit it off. Initially Wallace is uninterested in being friends with Chantry, despite their chemistry, because she has a boyfriend, but eventually decides that having her in his life, even as a friend only, is better than the alternative. The problem is, however, that regardless of intention, feelings are feelings and Wallace is in love with Chantry – them becoming close friends only making it more apparent and worse. So, the big question becomes: will Wallace risk it all and try to make something happen? Meanwhile, Chantry is happy with Ben, but there is an undeniable spark with Wallace. She feels something for him too, but she is with Ben. It is complicated for her too.

Let me start with what is all too obvious about What If. A common symptom of the genre is for romantic comedies to all adhere to the same formulaic structure. We as savvy consumers all already know how this story will play out, down to the precise plot points, before the opening credit even roll. Thusly, What If is at a disadvantage from the beginning. Of course it is going to be painfully generic – the genre and its consumers demand it, which then lead to the question of which genre classic will it most resemble. Without thinking about it too much, the first film that comes to mind is When Harry Met Sally… Not a bad film to want to emulate. So, the real success of What If hinges on whether or not it can make us fall in love with Wallace and Chantry, taking stock in their courtship and hoping that in the end they come together. To this, I would say that yes the film is successful.

Sure it is generic, but so are almost all modern romantic comedies. What If is one of the good ones. Romantic comedies now have sort of started to become films that try to differentiate themselves by having crazy premises or wacky characters or scenes of extreme situations. What If does not succumb to this annoying trend. It is a simple story about a boy and a girl who meet each other, like each other, but there is an obstacle that must be overcome before they can be together.

All that said, however, What If also has a very strange comedic undercurrent. Wallace and Chantry have wonderful chemistry because they find the same weird stuff interesting. When Wallace first meets Chantry, he makes a joke about collecting the pubic hair of all the women at the party. In almost every case that is a conversation killing statement, but Chantry is not taken aback by it and even thinks it is funny. At this moment, they should know as we the audience know that they are supposed to be together. They continue throughout the film to find the same odd stuff appealing and interesting, when really no one else ever would. All this gives the film a bizarre sense of humor that is also strangely refreshing. The film is not making the same boring jokes that every other genre film makes, and it is not inventing madcap situations for its characters to navigate for comedic purposes. In fact, the one potentially stand-out crazy situation that Wallace and Chantry find themselves in plays as a much more dramatic scene than it does for comedy. Again, the film rejects the stupidity of modern romantic comedies in favor of the classic in which characters we were supposed to care about got to know each other and fell in love with each other through conversation (as we fell in love with them).

Thus, What If comes down to its characters. Director Michael Dowse does a great job with them. Wallace and Chantry are given time to grow together and apart, and the audience does fall for them and does take stock in their potential relationship. Dowse, though, does stick to the formulaic structure on character as well. Wallace’s best friend Alan and his girlfriend Nicole are the typical loud, energetic comedic relief, while Chantry’s best friend (who is also her sister) Dalia plays the equally typical supportive friend role. And of course there is a scene in which Chantry has to push Dalia at Wallace because she already has a boyfriend and Wallace is single and not doing so would raise awkward suspicions even though secretly she is uncomfortable with the idea of them being together because subconsciously she likes Wallace (whether she fully knows it or not). Like I said, this is formulaic. With Ben, Dowse could have on one of two ways, the boring way would have seen Ben as a bad boyfriend to Chantry, making Wallace seem all the more a better choice, but Ben is a good boyfriend to Chantry. He is loving and has a good job. But, of course, there is a slight complication. Ben must move away for his job leaving his relationship with Chantry to exist as a long-distance relationship – which allows her to spend more time with Wallace. Here again, Dowse could have taken the easy road and Ben could have changed and moved on from Chantry, cheating on her and so on. But, he remains faithful and loving, though his ambitions for himself do somewhat deviate with what Chantry wants for herself. Although, if she really does love him and want him, they could make it work. Ben is not really the obstacle to Wallace and Chantry being together.

Dowse never gives Wallace an easy in with Chantry. This is what works about What If. Often in life, things are not easy. Yes, there is still a fairytale aspect to the film – it is a romantic comedy after all – but life gets in the way, just like it does with us. Because it is difficult, their inevitable union feels more satisfying and earned (something that is almost never true anymore in the genre). What If is good because it cares about its characters; it loves them, and in turn we love them too. And on a side note, it is hard not to love a film that visually references both The Princess Bride and The Thing.

What If is a good romantic comedy that features a cast of likable (be them off-beat) characters. It is refreshing in that it feels more like a classic entry in the genre than the boring and usually terrible nonsense we have come to expect today from the genre that we all still love because of those great old films and the few good ones that trickle through now.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Michael Dowse’s more mainstream directing career got off to a thud with the fairly terrible throwaway comedy Take Me Home Tonight (a film expected to succeed off the charm of the 1980s alone without a serviceable script of any kind, squandering its talented cast), after he made the successful small films Fubar and It’s All Gone Peter Tong. Dowse then returned to Canada’s film industry and has made two great comedies. The sports comedy Goon is one of 2012’s hidden gems and this year’s What If is among the best romantic comedies of the year so far. The success of Goon and What If stem from Dowse’s ability to garner good work from his actors, while also honing in on what is working comically.

What If features a soundtrack full of reasonably good contemporary music, but it mostly just fades into the background. Composer A.C. Newman’s score fills in the gaps and supports the tone and dramatic moments well. Rogier Stoffers’s cinematography works quite well. The film is visually and stylistically very straightforward; however, Stoffers takes advantage of the film’s locations (Toronto and Dublin) to bring a certain visual beauty in support of the budding relationship between Wallace and Chantry. Ethan Tobman’s production design is also fairly straightforward. All the sets are grounded in reality, though the art department does provide some interesting animations in support of the whimsical/odd undercurrent to the narrative (because romantic comedies are fairytales).

The cast is very likable and are all very good in the film. Oona Chaplin, Jemima Rooper, and Rafe Spall are good in small supporting roles. Mackenzie Davis has a fantastically fun energy as Nicole. Her personality is both infectious and a bit overwhelming. She makes a perfect foil for Alan, and yet still has enough to feel like a full character herself. Adam Driver, as he is in everything I have seen him in, is great as Alan. He just cannot help but draw focus. His energy is so dynamic. He is funny and intense. Megan Park gives a potentially breakthrough performance as Dalia. She is funny and a little goofy, but never feels anything less than a fully formed character (even in a formulaic genre role). Zoe Kazan is having a strong year making good indie romances (she is also great in this year’s In Your Eyes). Here, playing Chantry, she easily could have been the typical whimsy waif set upon the Earth to rescue Wallace from his cynicism, but she is having none of that. Chantry is a strong woman who has her own ambitions and desires. If this were a character drama, it would have been just as satisfying to see her go off alone facing her new life, confident that she would strive. Kazan is hard not to fall in love with in the film, especially when we are rooting for Chantry and Wallace to end up together. I hope she can continue to find good roles in good movies. Daniel Radcliffe is very good as Wallace. To some extent, when the film begins, he is playing kind of a loser. But, his charm and wit work ever in his favor – and there is no denying the great chemistry he has with Kazan (which is really the lifeblood of the film – as it would be with any film dependent on its leads). As is true with all of these actors, Radcliffe finds what works about his character and succeeds at creating a full person around it. He is likable, but unafraid to be a bit weird too.

Summary & score: What If exemplifies what good romantic comedies are: it is funny, it is cute, it has real drama, we love the characters, and while it may be generic it does not matter because it gets everything else right. 7/10

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) – Review

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis is a circular character drama that uses the 1961 Greenwich Village folk music scene to show the audience something about themselves, about humanity. The film is about a struggling folk singer and guitar player Llewyn Davis. He is kind of an asshole, favoring the integrity of his music over all else. He has bad manners and a surly disposition, leaving him short on friends to freeload off. Davis is desperately trying to make a career out of his music, but it just does not seem to be working out – on top of that he is dealing with the death of his former partner Mike, who recently committed suicide.

Like many of the Coen Brothers’ films, Inside Llewyn Davis is a parable with an antihero at its center. Here, the lesson appears to be about the beauty of artistic expression, when humanity is otherwise often marred in ugliness. Davis is completely unlikable in almost every way. He is a leach who does not seem to care about anyone other than himself, just grinding it out trying to play music as a source of employment. And yet, when he does perform there is something marvelous to it. The Coen Brothers expose the man as being deeply passionate and affected by life – how else could he absolutely capture the emotions of the songs he plays and resonate so strongly with the audience?

But, Davis is also not completely lost. When he finds out that he may have impregnated Jean (and thereby potentially ruining her home life with her partner Jim), Davis does not hesitate to step up to pay for the abortion. Yes, it is easy to say that he is eager to pay to avoid any future responsibility, and this is probably partially true, but he also could have just as easily told her that it was her problem to deal with (which would be in line with how he behaves in other situations, like abandoning a strung-out Roland Turner). This indicates that on some level he does care about Jean – who is in a way his moral compass. Davis also seems to care about the Gorfein’s cat Ulysses, as if saving the cat will somehow make up for all his other bad deeds. Still, in the end, Davis is fairly despicable and hard for the audience to get behind.

That said, the Coen Brothers do something quite interesting with their portrayal of the world around him to get the audience on his side (though, I am not sure it will work for every viewer). Basically, Davis is shown as a pure musician and one who is genuinely talented. The Coen Brothers interact with the world of the film and all the other characters through the perspective of Davis – who more or less looks down on everyone else. Thus, the other characters are either just as awful as (if not more so than) Davis or laughably goofy. Thus, the audience too takes on Davis’s perspective of superiority, which allows the film to work as a comedy as the Coen Brothers roll out a series of odd characters and situations for Davis to encounter.

The musical performances are really the standout aspect of the film, which some ways works as a musical – on a much purer level than the typical musical structure viewers are used to as filmgoers. Davis delivers a number of fantastic performances and the audience are treated to a few others from supporting characters as well (like the hilarious Please Mr. Kennedy). It is in these performances where the film and Davis expose their souls, where the beauty and emotional power of the music is put on display to shine, erasing all the ill feeling the audience might feel towards Davis. Despite being an ugly person, his music is something special and the audience is able to see something deeper, truer inside him (which creates a connection). This speaks to humanity in general. Throughout our existence, humanity’s history is littered with unmistakable heinous repulsiveness, yet our history too is filled with monumental achievements of grace (often resulting from the arts). There is a dichotomy within people, they have it within themselves the ability to destroy and create wonders. The beauty and emotion of Davis’s music may in fact come out of his tortured life. It is his release. The music allows Davis to show his emotions (grief, loss, a joyful exuberance for the music, and so on), and may in fact be his redemption.

Another interesting aspect of the film is the circular narrative structure that the Coen Brothers employ. The film starts and ends with the same sequence, a flash forward that the audience does not realize is a flash forward until the scene happens again to end the film. In between, the audience experiences a week in Davis’s life, as he desperately tries to make something of his career, going up to Chicago to play for a music promoter/club owner. Like many of the Coen Brothers’ narratives, the world just seems to have it out for Davis (some of which he probably brings upon himself). As much as he wants to make it as a performer, everything seems to be working against him. The audience sees him struggle for a week with really nothing to show for it. Has he even grown as a man or learned anything new? But as with other Coen Brothers’ films, the point is not so much the character, rather he is just a foil for them to express something deeper – which is really more up to the audience’s interpretation than an exact meaning.

Inside Llewyn Davis is odd and quirky, like most of the Coen Brothers’ work. But additionally, some viewers may find it to be overly long in parts (I am specifically thinking of the road trip to Chicago sequence). While the pacing did not bother me, I can see it being an issue for those not fully engaged in the narrative, as it is a bit slow.

The music in Inside Llewyn Davis is onto itself a good enough reason to see the film (especially for fans of folk music), but the Coen Brothers offer so much more with their typically irregular characters and penetrating parable narrative.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: The Coen Brothers, who briefly ventured closer to a conventional Hollywood narrative with True Grit (though, still a film I really liked), have found their way back to making wonderful, strange films with Inside Llewyn Davis, which feels in some ways like a companion piece to Barton Fink and A Serious Man, and musically maybe a bit of a continuation of O, Brother Where Art Thou? The Coen Brothers continue to distinguish themselves as true American auteurs, with each new film both expanding their impressive catalog and exploring something new and grand. Each of their films (minus a couple) is a cinematic treat.

As stated many times above, the music in the film is fantastic. The Coen Brothers and executive music producer T-Bone Burnett have assembled and crafted a very strong array of folk songs that entertain and get to the soul of their performers. However, Bruno Delbonnel’s cinematography may be the film’s most impressive aspect. It is at the same time surreal and felicitous, creating a feeling within the audience that they are watching a time-soaked period drama (which they are) – it feels both old and new. It also perfectly echoes the grief stricken sadness of Davis, thereby fitting the tone very well. There is even a slight hint of nostalgia, despite all the characters being fairly unlikable. Jess Gonchor’s production design provides a real authenticity to the film, as everything looks and feels as it should. Gonchor also succeeds in using his design to speak to who these characters are – which particularly can be seen in Mary Zophres’s costume design.

In some ways the film is episodic, with sequences feeling separate and insular – characters coming in and out. There are many small performances, all of them strong. Garrett Hedlund has almost no dialog, for example, but feels so dynamic on-screen. Other great small supporting performances come from Ethan Phillips, Stark Sands, Max Casella, Justin Timberlake, F. Murray Abraham, and especially Adam Driver (who just steals the Please Mr. Kennedy scene). John Goodman plays Roland Turner, an obnoxious aging cripple jazzman. As unlikable as Davis is, Goodman’s Turner makes him appear in a much better light (if only for a moment). Carey Mulligan is fantastic as Jean, a young woman and folk singer who is both fed up with Davis and probably secretly still has a thing for him (because why else would she care so much about him or be so infuriated by him). Her scene in the park opposite Davis is maybe the most compelling, acting wise, of the film (really, I kind of wish there was more between these two as their chemistry is electric). Oscar Isaac is brilliant as Llewyn Davis. He has always been a good character actor, but this film sees him at his best. He plays Davis to be a dirt bag, yes, but behind all that is a man who is in intense emotional pain. Maybe all his bad behavior is just a protective front or him acting out against a world that has seemingly never given him a real chance, instead taking so much from him.

Summary & score: Fans of the Coen Brothers will again be enchanted by yet another great character driven parable, and in addition Inside Llewyn Davis offers incredibly moving and entertaining musical performances. 8/10

Frances Ha (2013) – Review

Review: Frances Ha is a fun coming-of-age drama that is light and easy going. The film is about Frances, a young woman in her late twenties who is still trying to find her way in New York City. She is a dancer, but that might just be an excuse for finding a real job. Frances has to make some tough choices after her best friend and roommate, Sophie, decides to move in her boyfriend leaving Frances to find new arrangements.

Set mostly in New York, shot in black & white, and dealing with young people trying to find their place after college, the film seems to take on the role of a modern update of Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan. Frances, like Tom, is a bit of an outsider even within her own group of friends, due to her awkward quirks – something that has seemingly become a staple of indie films (quirkiness in the lead character). She seems to always stick out everywhere she goes.

Writer-director Noah Baumbach and writer-star Greta Gerwig seem to want to tell a coming-of-age story with Frances Ha. The film is very playful and never really gets too bogged down in emotional turmoil, even as Frances faces tough times/choices. She is quite resilient. But again, she is in her late twenties – one would think that she would have grown up by now? And yet, Frances embarks on journey towards maturity and understanding, leaving behind her more childish careless tendencies and self-proclaimed bad-decision-making (or at least tries to). In short, she has to grow up – even if she is desperately clinging to anything that might save her from accepting that truth.

Much like the TV Series Girls, Frances Ha seems to perfectly hit its time and place (much like Metropolitan did in 1990). Its is a time capsule recording the culture, style, language, and overall feel of today’s young people (at least those in urban settings). While the main narrative arc is somewhat universal (a coming-of-age story), it is interesting to imagine how this might play in ten or twenty years, as the tone of the film is completely saturated with today’s lifestyle aesthetic.

Frances Ha is very enjoyable to watch, and Baumbach and Gerwig do a great job with the character of Frances. The film is a bit of a one-woman show, thus the audience connecting with the character is vital. The viewer cannot help but like her. She is very charming, and again despite her mistakes and shortfalls her resilience endears her to the audience. The viewer wants to see her come out on top. Baumbach and Gerwig want the viewer to feel good watching the film, and in this regard the film is very successful.

However, as enjoyable as it is, the film is very light, but works mostly as a drama. Yet, the viewer never fears that things may not work out for Frances or that she may suffer any real pain, as she seems to breeze through everything (that is just who she is – dancing in the streets). The film is not dramatic enough to be moving or emotionally engaging, nor is it funny enough to carry the audience on laughs. It does not strive to be more than it is – just a simple light enjoyable story about a girl who grows up.

Frances Ha may not be thrilling, dramatic, or hilarious, but it is nonetheless a pleasure to watch.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Noah Baumbach has seemingly been fascinated with intellectual slackers with his films (my favorite of which is The Squid and the Whale), but Frances Ha feels like a bit of a departure. Baumbach’s style is refreshed and vibrant, and narratively it is much less concerned with those who are frustrated by their surroundings and instead embraces a lead character who loves life and wants to be in the world (she is just trying to find where and how she fits). The sarcastic tone has been replaced with one of joyful vitality, which infects the whole film and through it the audience (as said multiple times above: Frances Ha is a light enjoyable experience). Baumbach’s filmmaking is engaging again (after a few lesser films) and I look forward to what he does next.

Cinematographer Sam Levy’s black & white photography works very well with the tone and style of the film. It seems to give France’s journey a very personal feel (almost documentary-like). Baumbach’s shooting style also has a cinema-verite quality to it, as if the audience is eavesdropping on the lives of real people. Everything has a very naturalistic look. Sam Lisenco’s production design works hand-in-hand with the photography as his sets feel very natural and organic. Baumbach also uses a great 1970s/1980s soundtrack for the film that reenforces the light/fun spirit of the film (songs like David Bowie's Modern Love and Hot Chocolate's Ever1's a Winner). Baumbach uses music from French New Wave films as well - as this is very much influenced by those films and has a similar tone. While there is no score, the soundtrack works incredibly well and is one of the best aspects of the film.

The cast is very good, all giving performances that feel naturalistic and improvised, as if they were saying the lines for the first time (fitting the overall aesthetic style for the film). Adam Driver and Michael Zegen are good in small supporting roles. Mickey Sumner is wonderful in her supporting role as Sophie, giving a breakthrough performance. However, the whole film belongs to Greta Gerwig as Frances. She has a fantastic screen presence always drawing attention towards her. She does a great job creating a nervous, awkward energy that is both funny and charming.

Summary & score: Frances Ha is the perfect film for those looking for something funny, light, and with great characters and style. It is an utter joy. 7/10