FRANCES HA - Delightfully poignant

I remember reading an article during the time the 2014 Oscar nominations were announced which mentioned some under rated movies of that year and should have garnered at least some nominations. FRANCES HA was right up there. It took me another couple of years to experience the incredibly poignant tale of Frances and I am glad for the experience. The indomitable spirit of Frances and her positive cheerful attitude even in face of adversity will stay with me for a long time to come.

 Its difficult to give a synopsis for this movie other than its a portrayal of the life of Frances who lives in her own world and dreams even if she is not realizing any of them presently. Frances lives in New York, but she doesn't really have an apartment. Frances is an apprentice for a dance company, but she's not really a dancer. Frances has a best friend named Sophie, but they aren't really speaking anymore. Frances throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles. Frances wants so much more than she has but lives her life with unaccountable joy and lightness. its her struggle which we watch but she never seems too bothered about it and continues in her merry ways. Its a joy to watch her braving all the odds , but you cant help but feel sad for her as nothing goes her way for the most part. There will also be a bit of frustration and you may want like shouting at her to act a little more maturely - she is 27- but this is sort of a coming of age story and it is Frances after all .

This movie is shot in brilliant Black and white reminiscent of Woody Allen's "Manhattan" which really sets the mood of this heart rending story. Frances Ha has no narrative development in the customary sense. It's a succession of well played out scenes, simultaneously funny and embarrassing, that illustrate her life,Frances Ha does a lot in eighty-six minutes.It detail loneliness and friendships, impending adulthood, and dependence all the more.

the character of Frances is played by Greta Gerwig  who had earlier appeared in the film Greenberg by the same director which really made me notice  her. She gives one of the most energetic and realistic performances I have seen for a while. She may not be the best role model for a girl, but certainly is a realistic portrayal of many. She is in every scene - literally- and she may annoy you, but you cant get over her. You would certainly root for her. All the supporting actors play their part with Michael Zegen as Benji standing out from the pack.

I urge everyone to experience the life of Frances at the earliest as I am sure you would not be disappointed.You would go on a journey where you know you would feel dejected at times, but the experience will make you richer. Lets raise a toast for Frances and her spirit.

P.S. - Frances, dont ever say you are "undateable".......you are just being you.

WORTHY MENTION



Frances' parents are played by Greta Gerwig's real-life parents.
Greta Gerwig is in every scene of the movie.


MY VERDICT

**** - Touchingly irritating

FURIOUS 7 - Another superhero movie

For some odd reason, I never followed the FAF franchise since its inception in 2001. I loved action movies and fast cars, but these films flew under my radar. It was in 2013 that I was coaxed by my friends to go for the 6th movie of the franchise. I did not have anything better to do and decided to do the same. What I saw was probably one of the best action movies in the last few years. I was an instant fan boy. I finished the rest in the same week, and though some were better than the rest, all the movies except the 2nd one were a fun ride and they really elevated the standards from the 5th one. So, naturally I had high expectations for the latest one. But BOY!!! How wrong I was.

The FAF films really don't care about stories, but this time they decide to go for some emotion as a constant reminder that this one is the last movie starring the late PAUL WALKER. Dominic Torretto and his crew thought they left the criminal mercenary life behind. They defeated an international terrorist named Owen Shaw and went their seperate ways. But now, Shaw's brother, Deckard Shaw is out killing the crew one by one for revenge. Worse, a Somalian terrorist called Jakarde, and a shady government official called "Mr. Nobody" are both competing to steal a computer terrorism program called God's Eye, that can turn any technological device into a weapon. Torretto must reconvene with his team to stop Shaw and retrieve the God's Eye program while caught in a power struggle between terrorist and the United States government.Seems complicated enough, but is it only me who thinks the whole point of using the God's Eye to find Deckard Shaw is ridiculous as he is the one who is hunting down the team anyways and knows their every move.

It is more or less an established fact that this series decided to abandon all laws of physics and gravity somewhere during the 4th film. Accordingly, I was prepared to enjoy some over the top action set pieces, and the trailer also warmed me up to it. But instead , what I got was less of a FAST AND FURIOUS movie and more of the SUPERHERO MARVEL movies we get every alternate month nowadays. It was like watching HULK and CAPTAIN AMERICA were driving the mean cars in the streets of LA and various other locations. Seriously.But the sad thing is this is not a Superhero movie, and so we crave a certain level of realism and practicality. Not one preposterous stunt after the other. This is where this film disappoint big time. 

The film had so much going for it. Jason Statham in a film with cars. One of the most talented young directors around- James Wan - at its helm and not to mention the Brand name of a FAF movie. But, the only thing that stays with you after the entire movie is the last bit where they pay tribute to PAUL WALKER. Its really done well and the closing scene moves the heart. Thus, it is fair to say that it is not good when the thing that really sticks with you after a FAST AND FURIOUS movie is the poignant bits and not the action. Frankly, after the first Set piece, I stopped to care. 

The acting is exactly what you expect from a movie in this franchise. Nothing great but done with a lot of attitude. Jason Statham feels wasted and the new addition to the team, Nathalie Emmanuel has nothing worthy to do in the entire movie. Even the comic relief provided by Tyrese Gibson falls flat for the most part. The only shining light is Kurt Russel as "Mr.Nobody". He is charming and cartoony in every frame he is in. Good to see him after so long.

Overall, this movie had so much potential that it will leave you disgusted at the wasted opportunity. I am sure there would be a 8th one in a few years time, and I can only hope it can learn from its mistakes and make us believe this one was just an outlier. Else, this franchise would turn into something similar to the TRANSFORMER series. Fingers crossed.

MY VERDICT

**1/2 - Furiously OTT