Frances Ha Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Frances Ha Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 17, 2013

Noah Baumbach's "Frances Ha" (2012) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; video conversation between Peter Bogdanovich and Noah Baumbach; video conversation between Sarah Polley and Greta Gerwig; and a video piece featuring director Noah Baumbach, director of photography Sam Levy, and colorist Pascal Dangin. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring Annie Baker's essay "The Green Girl" and technical information about the transfer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Frances

Frances (Greta Gerwig, Greenberg, Lola Versus) is at a point in her life where a lot of what she sees and feels still confuses her. She knows that she wants to be a dancer, but she does not know what she would do with her life if it turns out that she isn’t good enough to have steady employment as a dancer. She feels that her best friend Sophie (Mickey Sumner, Missed Connections, Girl Most Likely) has a special place in her life, but she is unsure if their relationship will be the same now that Sophie has a new boyfriend. Frances can also tell that New York is the only city where she feels alive, but living there is expensive and she doesn’t know if she can afford to be there for much longer.

The majority of the people Frances meets are in a similar predicament, but they can rely on their parents for cash during difficult times. Frances’ parents live in Sacramento and cannot support her. But they are fine with her choices as long as she is happy.

Most of the time Frances looks happy, but she is still searching for that special person that will truly make her happy. When they meet she will know that it is him - because they will catch each other’s eyes in a very special way and will instantly know that they were meant to be together.

Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha is essentially a plotless character study that relies heavily on the charisma of its main protagonist to impress. As such, it feels like a very long blind date during which one either discovers that one has something in common with the protagonist and warms up to the film or finds that the two were simply not meant for each other.

The film is clearly inspired by the classic works of the French New Wave directors, but it has a modern vibe that places it somewhere between Leos Carax’s Mauvais sang (The Night Is Young) and Benoit Jacquot’s A Tout de Suite (Right Now). It has the intimate lightness and exuberance of the former and the uncertainty and occasionally sleekness of the latter.

Initially the film feels a bit choppy, but later on the unevenness actually seems appropriate for Frances’ rapid mood swings and impulsive decisions. Unfortunately, not all of them look authentic.

The most effective sequences in the entire film are the most awkward ones. For example, the sequence where Frances casually explains why she is still single while dinning with a few friends perfectly recreates the strange vacuum young people find themselves in when they attempt to describe what true love and happiness mean to them. However, there are only a few such sequences that leave a lasting impression.

Shot with a Canon 5D digital camera and then color-corrected, the film’s black and white imagery looks mostly appropriate. Some viewers, however, may feel that Baumbach tries too hard to replicate the stylistic identity of the classic New Wave films.

The soundtrack features music from such legendary composers as Georges Delerue (Jean-Luc Godard's Le mepris, Francois Truffaut’s Shoot the Piano Player), Jean Constantin (Truffaut’s The 400 Blows), and Antoine Duhamel (Jean-Luc Godard’s Pierrot le fou), as well as classic pop tunes such as "Every 1's a Winner" (Hot Chocolate), "Modern Love" (David Bowie), and "Rocks off" (The Rolling Stones), amongst others.

Frances Ha Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"The film was shot with a Canon 5D digital camera, and the entire production was completed in a fully digital workflow. The final color-corrected DPX filmes were output to Rec. 709 high-definition color space for Blu-ray and DVD release. The film has a fully digital soundtrack. The 5.1 surround audio was mastered at 24-bit from the original digital audio master files using Pro Tools HD.

Color mastering: Pascal Dangin/Box Studios, New York."

The film has the low-budget look its creators intended for it. Where there is plenty of natural light image depth and clarity are indeed very pleasing (see screencapture #11), but a lot of the indoor footage can look somewhat flat. Sharpness and contrast levels can also fluctuate. Needless to say, all of these fluctuations are indeed inherited. Color saturation also varies, with the most obvious inconsistencies being between the blacks and grays. There are no serious transfer specific anomalies to report in this review. Also, there are no serious stability issues. All in all, I believe that Frances Ha looks as good on Blu-ray as its creators intended. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Frances Ha Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

Depth and clarity are excellent. Dynamic intensity, however, is limited. Also, you should not expect to hear prominent surround movement. The dialog is consistently crisp, stable, and easy to follow. As intended, random noises and sounds are often heard, but there are no technical issues (dropouts or distortions) to report in this review.

Frances Ha Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original R-rated trailer for Frances Ha. In English, not subtitled. (1080p).

• Peter Bogdanovich and Noah Baumbach - in this video conversation, director and co-writer Noah Baumbach explains how Frances Ha came to exist and discusses its style and structure with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich. The conversation was recorded exclusively for Criterion in New York City in June 2013. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080p).

• Sarah Polley and Greta Gerwig - in this video conversation, actress Greta Gerwig discusses her contribution to Frances Ha, the key themes in the film, and Noah Baumbach's directing methods with filmmaker and actress Sarah Polley. The conversation was recorded exclusively for Criterion in Toronto in July 2013. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p).

• Interpreting Reality - in this video piece, director Noah Baumbach, director of photography Sam Levy, and colorist Pascal Dangin discuss the look of Frances Ha, the various tests and consultations that were done with the late cinematographer Harris Savides (The Game, Gerry), and some of the challenges directors are presented when shooting with digital cameras. The piece was produced by Criterion in 2013. In English, not subtitled. (19 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring Annie Baker's essay "The Green Girl" and technical information about the transfer.

Frances Ha Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I believe that there will be two types of reactions to Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha. On one hand, it will likely appeal to viewers who are unfamiliar with the different films that have inspired it and can easily relate to many of the challenges and situations its main protagonist faces. These viewers will discover something new and fresh. On the other hand, there will be a lot of viewers that will remain indifferent to the main protagonist's immaturity and the sweetness that is attached to it. Amongst these viewers some will also conclude that a lot of what Frances Ha tries to accomplish has already been done a lot better. Naturally, I think that it would be best if you find a way to RENT IT first.