Frances Ha
Frances Ha | |
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Directed by | Noah Baumbach |
Written by |
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Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Sam Levy |
Edited by | Jennifer Lame |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | IFC Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 86 minutes[2] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $3 million[3] |
Box office | $11.3 million[3] |
Frances Hais a 2012 Americanblack-and-whitecomedy-dramafilm directed byNoah Baumbach.It is written by Baumbach andGreta Gerwig,who also stars as Frances Halladay, a struggling 27-year-old dancer. The film premiered at theTelluride Film Festivalon September 1, 2012, and was given alimited theatrical releasein the United States on May 17, 2013, byIFC Films.
Plot
[edit]Frances Halladay is a 27-year-old dancer who lives inNew York Citywith her best friend from college, Sophie. Her life is upended when Sophie tells her she plans to relocate fromBrooklyntoTribeca,which Sophie considers her dream neighborhood, with a different friend. Frances, a struggling would-be dancer working as an apprentice at a dance company, is unable to afford the Brooklyn apartment alone and is forced to find someplace else to live.
She moves toChinatownand shares an apartment with her friends Lev and Benji for a brief period. Sophie and Frances's relationship struggles as Sophie and her boyfriend, Patch, grow closer. Frances learns that the dance company does not need her to work their Christmas show, which means Frances can no longer afford the apartment. She visits her hometown ofSacramentoforChristmaswhere she sees her family and reconnects with high school friends.
Rachel, a fellow dancer in the company, lets Frances stay with her for a few weeks. During dinner with Rachel's family, Frances discovers that Sophie has quit her job atRandom Houseand is moving toTokyowith Patch. Frances, on a whim, decides to spend an uneventful couple of days inParisthat she pays for with a credit card. She returns toVassar,heralma mater,to work as a waitress and summerresident assistant.Overworked and not allowed to take classes, Frances reads Sophie's blog of her life in Tokyo.
One night, Sophie and Patch are at an alumni auction where Frances is waitressing. Frances learns they are engaged and sees the couple get into a fight. She lets a drunk Sophie stay with her in the dorm room she's been given, where Sophie reveals that she suffered amiscarriagewhile in Japan and is unhappy in her relationship. Sophie goes back to New York City the next morning, leaving a note for Frances. Some time later, Frances returns toWashington HeightsinManhattan.
Frances eventually reconciles with Sophie and enjoys a modest but satisfying existence as a fledgling choreographer, teaching dance to young children, and as abookkeeperfor her former dance company. She rents her own apartment. Upon moving in, Frances writes her name down onto a slip of paper in order to mark her new mailbox. Her full last name does not fit, so she folds the paper to read: "Frances Ha".
Cast
[edit]- Greta Gerwigas Frances Halladay
- Mickey Sumneras Sophie Levee
- Adam Driveras Lev Shapiro
- Michael Zegenas Benji
- Patrick Heusingeras Reade "Patch" Krause
- Michael Esperas Dan
- Charlotte d'Amboiseas Colleen
- Grace Gummeras Rachel
- Josh Hamiltonas Andy
- Maya Kazanas Caroline
- Justine Lupeas Nessa
- Britta Phillipsas Nadia
- Juliet Rylanceas Janelle
- Dean Warehamas Spencer
Production
[edit]Frances Hawas directed byNoah Baumbach,and written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig. Gerwig, who also stars in the film, announced it in April 2012, though Baumbach's involvement was not revealed until the film's listing in theTelluride Film Festival's lineup. Gerwig had starred in Baumbach's 2010 filmGreenberg,and they decided to collaborate again.[4]They exchanged ideas, developed characters and eventually co-wrote the script. Gerwig has said that she did not anticipate starring in the film as well, but Baumbach thought she suited the part. Filming locations includedNew York City,Sacramento,Parisand atVassar Collegein Poughkeepsie, Baumbach's alma mater.[5]
Gerwig citedJoseph Conrad's novellaThe Shadow LineandWoody Allen's filmAnnie Hall(1977) as inspirations for the film. Baumbach and Gerwig also have cited the films of theFrench New WaveandWoody Allenas influences, as well asSomething Wild(1986) andLost in America(1985) which they watched during the production.[6][7]
In the bonus features on the home-video release, the filmmakers said that the film was shot in the style ofFrench New Wavecinema, with the tools of a student filmmaker. Even though the production had both the budget for and access to professional-levelcinema camerasand lenses, they chose to use theCanon EOS 5D Mark II,a consumer-grade photographic camera that can recordhigh-definition video.Instead of adapting professional cinema lenses, as other cinematographers have done when working with that camera, they used Canon L-series EFprimeandzoom lensesdesigned for still photography. They mostly used a50mm prime lensand a70–200mm zoom lens,rarely employing35mmand85mmprime lenses because they lacked the mechanics and features common amongcinema lenses(when paired with the camera’s largefull-framesensor, they make it difficult tomaintain focus). By using a very small camera and extremely limited lighting equipment, the production could quickly and easily move locations without attracting much attention. Without large crews, elaborate sets, and special visual effects, the production could afford to shoot around the world on a fairly limited budget.
Soundtrack
[edit]The filmmakers included a number of pop songs in the film, including "Every 1's a Winner"byHot Chocolate,"Blue Sway"byPaul McCartney,"Chrome Sitar" byT.Rex,and "Modern Love"byDavid Bowie.[4]"Modern Love" is featured in a scene inFrances Hathat is a remake of a sequence inLeos Carax'sMauvais Sang,whereDenis Lavantruns through the streets.[8]
The soundtrack includes a song byFelix Labandand references multiple French films; it contains music byGeorges Delerue,Jean ConstantinandAntoine Duhamel,who originally wrote for films of theFrench New Wave.[9]
Release
[edit]Frances Hapremieredat theTelluride Film Festivalon September 1, 2012.[10]TheLos Angeles Timessaid "audiences seemed pleasantly surprised by the warmth from the often-mordant Baumbach."[5]The film also screened at theToronto International Film Festivalon September 7, 2012,[11]after whichIFC Filmsacquired North- and Latin-American rights to distribute the film in theaters.[12]Frances Haalso screened at theNew York Film Festivalon September 30, 2012,[4]and at theEdinburgh International Film Festivalin June 2013.[13]
The film had alimited releasein theUnited Stateson May 17, 2013,[1]and was released on Blu-ray and DVD on theCriterion Collectionlabel on November 12, 2013.[14]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]Thereview aggregation websiteRotten TomatoesgivesFrances Haa 93% approval rating based on 186 reviews, with anaveragescore of 7.80/10. The website's critical consensus is: "Audiences will need to tolerate a certain amount of narrative drift, but thanks to sensitive direction from Noah Baumbach and an endearing performance from Greta Gerwig,Frances Hamakes it easy to forgive. "[15]Metacriticcalculated an average score of 82 out of 100 based on 35 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[16]
Stephanie ZacharekofThe Village Voicepraised Gerwig's performance, writing, "It's a relief thatFrances Haisn't as assertively frank, in the 'Look, ma, no shame!' way, asGirls.And this is partly Gerwig's vision, too. No other movie has allowed her to display her colors like this. Frances is a little dizzy and frequently maddening, but Gerwig is precise in delineating the character's loopiness: Her lines always hit just behind the beat, like a jazz drummer who pretends to flub yet knows exactly what's up ".[17]
Peter Debruge, reviewing forVariety,describedFrances Ha:"This modest monochromatic lark doesn't present a story—or even a traditional sequence of scenes—so much as it offers spirited glimpses into the never-predictable life of Frances, a 27-year-old dancer." He said Frances was "a character whose unexceptional concerns and everyday foibles prove as compelling as any New York-set concept picture, delivering an affectionate, stylishly black-and-white portrait of a still-unfledged Gotham gal".[10]Sarah Galo ofMicalso noted thatFrances Ha“is really quite daring in its portrayal of female friendship. Frances and Sophie go through the motions of being BFFs to breaking up to being reunited in the end.”[18]
TheLos Angeles Timeshighlighted Gerwig's foray as part of a trend of female actors becoming writers or co-writers; other examples includeZoe KazanwithRuby SparksandRashida JoneswithCeleste and Jesse Forever.[19]Baumbach filmedFrances Hawith his cinematographer Sam Levy digitally and inblack-and-white,the latter to emulate, in part, collaborations byWoody Allenand his cinematographerGordon Willis,in films likeManhattan(1979).[5]CBS NewscomparedFrances Ha's style to the works ofWoody Allen,Jim JarmuschandFrançois Truffaut.[20]
Accolades
[edit]
Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
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Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Comedy or Musical | Greta Gerwig | Nominated | [21] |
Independent Spirit Awards | Best Feature | Frances Ha | Nominated | [22] |
Best Editing | Jennifer Lame | Nominated | ||
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress in a Comedy | Greta Gerwig | Nominated | [23] |
British Independent Film Awards | Best International Independent Film | Frances Ha | Nominated | [24] |
London Film Critics Circle Film Awards | Film of the Year | Frances Ha | Nominated | [25] |
Actress of the Year | Greta Gerwig | Nominated | ||
Technical Achievement of the Year | Sam Levy | Nominated | ||
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Greta Gerwig | 2nd Runner-up | [26] |
Casting Society of America | Casting - Low Budget Feature | Douglas Aibel Henry Russell Bergstein |
Nominated | [27] |
IndieWire Critics Poll | Best Film | Frances Ha | 10th Place | [21] |
Best Lead Performance | Greta Gerwig | Nominated | ||
Best Screenplay | Noah Baumbach Greta Gerwig |
Nominated | ||
Central Ohio Film Critics Association | Best Picture | Frances Ha | Nominated | [28] |
Best Actress | Greta Gerwig | Nominated | ||
Bodil Awards | Best American Film | Frances Ha | Nominated | [29] |
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | Audience Award | Noah Baumbach | 3rd place | [30] |
Vancouver Film Critics Circle | Best Actress | Greta Gerwig | Nominated | [31] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abJagernauth, Keith (November 30, 2012)."Noah Baumbach's 'Frances Ha' Gets Spring 2013 Release Date; 'End Of Watch' Coming Back To Theaters Next Week".The Playlist.indieWire.Archived fromthe originalon May 11, 2013.RetrievedDecember 10,2012.
- ^"FRANCES HA(15) ".British Board of Film Classification.June 26, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon May 13, 2014.RetrievedJune 26,2013.
- ^ab"Frances Ha".The Numbers.RetrievedJune 1,2014.
- ^abcRosen, Christopher (October 1, 2012)."'Frances Ha' At New York Film Festival: Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach Bring Their 'Pop Song' To New York ".The Huffington Post.
- ^abcOlsen, Mark (September 7, 2012)."'Frances Ha' bonds Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig ".Los Angeles Times.
- ^"Frances Ha's Greta Gerwig on Lena Dunham, Woody Allen, and Her Dream of Directing".Miami New Times.RetrievedAugust 7,2023.
- ^"Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach Talk" Frances Ha "and Falling In Love".The New Yorker.RetrievedAugust 7,2023.
- ^Brody, Richard (May 15, 2013).""Frances Ha" and the Pursuit of Happiness ".The New Yorker.ISSN0028-792X.RetrievedNovember 15,2017.
- ^Eggert, Brian (April 4, 2016),Frances Ha (2013),Deep Focus Review,retrievedJune 6,2018
- ^abDebruge, Peter (September 1, 2012)."Frances Ha".Variety.
- ^"Frances Ha".tiff.net.Toronto International Film Festival.Archived fromthe originalon August 5, 2012.RetrievedDecember 10,2012.
- ^McNary, Dave (September 20, 2012)."IFC Films closes U.S. on 'Frances Ha'".Variety.
- ^"Edinburgh Film Festival programme unveiled".May 29, 2013.RetrievedMay 29,2013.
- ^"Frances Ha (2013) - The Criterion Collection".Criterion.RetrievedJune 1,2014.
- ^"Frances Ha (2013)".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.RetrievedDecember 1,2021.
- ^"Frances Ha Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedSeptember 10,2013.
- ^Zacharek, Stephanie (May 15, 2013)."Greta Gerwig Stars in Noah Baumbach's Dating Manual, Frances Ha".The Village Voice.
- ^"'Frances Ha' Review: Noah Baumbach Movie Explores Female Friendship, 20-Something Woes ".Mic.June 3, 2013.RetrievedMay 1,2022.
- ^Olsen, Mark (September 7, 2012)."'Frances Ha' bonds Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig ".Los Angeles Times.ISSN0458-3035.RetrievedNovember 15,2017.
With this foray into screenwriting, Gerwig, 29, has become part of a current wave of actresses writing or co-writing their own material, a group that includes Zoe Kazan ( "Ruby Sparks" ) and Rashida Jones ( "Celeste and Jesse Forever" ).
- ^Morgan, David (September 30, 2012)."N.Y. Film Festival: Noah Baumbach's whimsical 'Frances Ha'".CBS News.
- ^ab"Frances Ha - IMDb".IMDb.
- ^"2014 Spirit Awards: '12 Years A Slave', 'All Is Lost', 'Frances Ha', 'Inside Llewyn Davis' & 'Nebraska' Nab Best Feature Noms".Deadline Hollywood.November 26, 2013.RetrievedMarch 10,2014.
- ^"19th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards Nominations".Broadcast Film Critics Association.December 16, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon June 8, 2018.RetrievedMarch 10,2014.
- ^"Nominations 2013: BIFA".British Independent Film Awards.RetrievedMarch 10,2014.
- ^"London Critics' Circle Announces 2014 Film Awards Nominations".The Critics' Circle.London Film Critics Circle.December 17, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 3,2014.
- ^"TFCA Announces 2013 Awards".Toronto Film Critics Association.December 16, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon January 17, 2014.RetrievedMarch 10,2014.
- ^"Artios Awards: Casting Society Reveals 2013 Nominees".Variety.August 19, 2013.RetrievedMarch 10,2014.
- ^"Central Ohio Film Critics Award Nominations".Indiewire.January 3, 2012.RetrievedMarch 10,2014.
- ^"Denmark's Bodil Prizes: 'Nympho-maniac', 'The Hunt' Lead Nominations".Deadline Hollywood.January 7, 2014.RetrievedMarch 10,2014.
- ^"Black Nights Film Fest Breaks Audience Record".Estonian Public Broadcasting.December 4, 2013.RetrievedMarch 10,2014.
- ^"And the 2014 VFCC Nominees Are..."Vancouver Film Critics Circle.December 22, 2013.RetrievedMarch 10,2014.
External links
[edit]- 2012 films
- 2012 comedy-drama films
- 2012 independent films
- 2010s American films
- 2010s coming-of-age comedy-drama films
- 2010s dance films
- 2010s English-language films
- 2010s female buddy films
- American black-and-white films
- American coming-of-age comedy-drama films
- American dance films
- American female buddy films
- American independent films
- Films directed by Noah Baumbach
- Films produced by Scott Rudin
- Films set in New York City
- Films set in Paris
- Films set in Sacramento, California
- Films shot in New York City
- Films shot in Paris
- Films shot in Sacramento, California
- Films with screenplays by Greta Gerwig
- English-language comedy-drama films
- English-language independent films
- English-language buddy films