Greetings again from the darkness. All the critics are raving about it. Love abounds for the latest from director Noah Baumbach and his co-writer and leading lady Greta Gerwig. What makes my ambivalence even more confounding is that I'm a fan of Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) and Gerwig (Greenberg). The expert level of filmmaking and acting is obvious, the script details and dialogue are exceptional, and the situations and setting are realistic. So why aren't I more excited about this one? That's what I've spent the past few days wondering.

It seems Frances Ha delivers everything I look for in an indie film. The problem is that I find almost every character to be annoying and self-absorbed. The first act finds Frances (Gerwig) sitting on top of the world. She has a boyfriend, a BFF/roomie, and is a dance company apprentice with the expectation of a dance career. Soon enough she watches Strike Three go by and her world is in a tailspin. We then watch Frances trudge on through uncertainty and instability in living arrangements, personal relationships and career path. It plays like a road trip that really never hits the highway.

Frances moves in with Lev (Adam Driver) and Ben (Michael Zegen) and she is oblivious to Ben's interest as she obsesses about her former BFF Sophie (Mickey Sumner). See, Sophie is trying to grow up while Frances wants to stay in her dream land where she and Sophie remain "the same person with different hair". Frances then crashes at the apartment of a fellow dancer played with all seriousness by Grace Gummer (Meryl Streep's daughter). The two dancing opposites attend an awkward dinner party at which Frances manages to spew an endless stream of absurd remarks that advertise her lack of maturity. Her response to this is to take a spontaneous trip to Paris ... charged to a new credit card.

Make no mistake. Frances is a very energetic and sincere free-spirited twenty-seven year old. The kind that is only charming in the movies. If her quirk wins you over, you will find yourself rooting for her to get her life together. That would put you in the same corner as most other film critics. On the other hand, if you recognize the optimism, but are unmoved by the immaturity and self-absorption, then you are banished to the corner of those who "just don't get it". And I'll be right there with you.

Frances Halladay (Greta Gerwig) is 27 and living in NYC with her best friend Sophie (Mickey Sumner). She is trying to be a dancer but can't get anything better than being an apprentice. Sophie is moving on with her life but Frances is flailing around. Frances just can't quite advance in her life.

I didn't really like her aimless struggles. Frances is very random and she's actually quite alone when the girls separate. I felt very bad for her. The only saving grace is the magnetic Greta Gerwig's performance. It's always great to root for her. The dinner scene is awkwardly wonderful. Her craziness is deliciously shocking. And I do love when Sophie comes back into the movie. It's a rewarding watch.

I am probably going to watch Noah Baumbach's newest "While We're Young" tomorrow, so why not give one of his other films a watch as an appetizer. I watched "Frances Ha" in theater shortly after it came out pretty much exactly 2 years ago and I remember really enjoying it. None of this is lost on rewatch. I have a soft spot for modern black-and-white movies and this one is no difference. I felt there was something truly raw and authentic about everything in here, especially the characters' interactions and dialogs. Apart from that, there is some great music in here, especially the David Bowie song, but also "Everyone's a Winner". Lead actress Greta Gerwig scored a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal here and it was very deserved I must say, especially as she also came up with the excellent script. I don't want to quote many parts of this film that I found particularly successful, but I have to mention Frances' monologue at the dinner party which was just an amazing piece of acting and storytelling and, of course, the reference to that in the last scene of the movie is also spot-on.

It is probably not my number 1 favorite film from 2012, but it's possibly the one film from that year that succeeds the most at combining drama and comedy. There are not that many dramatic moments, but her general life struggles and also crumbling relationships certainly deliver. And this is also a truly hilarious film. Frances is such a goofy, likable, relatable character that it's a complete joy to watch her, for example when she sleeps all the time when she is in France. The restaurant scene was excellent with her running off to get some money to pay. Or the quotes are sometimes hilarious too, for example about a certain French writer being "heavy". It's all very smart, yet never full of itself. It was such a joy to watch Frances have a great night at one point when her new friends ask her to dance and she dances all the way home as well. I would almost want to call this film a must-see, especially for filmmakers who want to come up with a quality comedy film. These 80 minutes (very short film, never drags for a second) were a wonderful experience and I truly hope that Baumbach and Gerwig can repeat this achievement as often as possible. Highly recommended.