Frances Ha (2012)

Directed by Noah Baumbach, this is a poignant comedy-drama about friendship, growing up and loneliness.

Greta Gerwig stars as a 27-year-old New Yorker trying to find her way in life. We follow Frances as she flits between jobs and apartments, unsure of what she should do with herself. The common threads are her wish to be a dancer and her unconditional love for her best friend Sophie (Mickey Sumner). 

It’s charming and often very funny, but deeply melancholy too. It’s shot in black and white, and the street scenes of New York (and briefly Paris) look stunning. There’s a wonderful scene in which she runs across the streets to the sounds of “Modern Love” by David Bowie. 

It seems to be highly influenced by Woody Allen (see Annie Hall and Manhattan), but it has greater emotional depth. Gerwig is incredibly believable and endearing.

Unlike so many films, Frances Ha stayed with me for quite a while afterwards.

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