Living in New York City in 2013 is an enormously expensive enterprise. Between rent, transportation fare, food costs, bare necessities, you're lucky if you get to experience the real luxuries of life, such as, great dining, travel, new clothes, and shopping. But what Noah Baumbach's latest film Frances Ha explores more than all these realities is what truly matters in life, real connection with other human beings. Which is why we fall in love with Greta Gerwig (co-writer with Noah Baumbach,) who play's a 27-year old dancer from Sacramento named Frances, trying to survive as an artist in New York City. We encounter her experiences through a variety of relationships including, her best friend, boyfriends, and roomates, as well as brief encounters with a dance teacher and friends of friends. All throughout, we are entranced by Gerwig, who uses the film as a stage for her incredible spontaneity and talent. She moves us, as we are enriched by her funny randomness, and quick witted banter. We follow her as she travels, from apartment to apartment, city to city, and country to country. All the while, we are entranced by her flaws which include, acne, laziness, and boredom. The viewer falls with her, but is also inspired that despite her lack of "reality" in her thinking, she never compromises her artistic soul. She doesn't cave in and take a job beneath her, rather she is constantly striving to maintain her integrity despite many failed attempts to make her dream come true and become a dancer in a company. Instead, her teacher urges her to consider her choreography which she praises. In the end she achieves the success of finding her true voice as a choreographer of dance, landing on her two feet, which is fitting for a dancer. There's still a lot more work for Frances to do in this world, but at least she has a start and the belief in herself as a person. Faith in ourselves is the most important road to happiness.
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