Double Feature
Frances Ha
Her name is Frances Ha and we don’t know if that single laugh after her name is out of genuine enjoyment or a mix of nervous self-recognition and pity. Played with unselfconscious abandon and joie de vivre by Greta Gerwig, Frances stands, or rather dances, at the crossroads of life in her late 20’s. Her best friend is falling headlong into a serious relationship and away from their co-dependent best friendship. Her aspirations as a professional dancer are bumping up against the limits of her toe-tapping skills. And meanwhile, it’s getting more and more expensive to live in New York City! This is a sweet and slightly sour New Wave homage, brimming with the familiar pleasures and pain of nostalgia. It’s also an American indie masterpiece.
“Effortless and effervescent, Frances Ha is a small miracle of a movie, honest and funny with an aim that’s true.” – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
“The writing is so musical, so attuned to human frailty and aspiration, that I defy anyone to watch the movie without smiling – with amusement one minute, rueful recognition the next, but probably always with some measure of simple, undiluted delight.” – Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post
- Director
- Noah Baumbach
- Writer
- Noah Baumbach & Greta Gerwig
- Starring
- Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Michael Esper, Adam Driver
- Year
- 2012
- Rated
- R
- Country
- USA
- Format
- 35mm
- Running Time
- 86 minutes
Girlfriends
Claudia Weill’s groundbreaking indie follows an aspiring New York photographer (Melanie Mayron, a revelation) when her life takes a sudden turn – her roommate and best friend decides to marry and move out. Now she’ll have to navigate a new world while trying to navigate the complex world of personal relationships. Girlfriends is a warm, wise, and very funny treatise on friendship, featuring superb supporting performances from Anita Skinner, Eli Wallach, Christopher Guest, and Bob Balaban.
“Sensitive, engrossing, and touching. And intelligent off-beat movie about real people who come alive.” – Jeffrey Lyons, CBS Radio
“A movie so full of life and love and feeling, you’re bound to take some of it home with you.” – David Sheehan, CBS TV
- Director
- Claudia Weill
- Writer
- Screenplay by Vicki Polon, story by Claudia Weill and Vicki Polon
- Starring
- Melanie Mayron, Anita Skinner, Eli Wallach, Christopher Guest, Bob Balaban, Gina Rogak, Amy Wright, Viveca Lindfors, Mike Kellin
- Year
- 1978
- Rated
- PG
- Country
- USA
- Format
- 35mm
- Running Time
- 88 minutes