It’s difficult for most people to find purpose in life, let alone the means to achieve it once you think you’ve found it. Most don’t have rich parents or spouses to fall back on. Regardless of our wants or desires, our hopes and dreams, sometimes we just need to face the truth: life goes on. And sometimes the only way to achieve what we want is to wait until it’s the right time to get it. Not so easy, really, especially in an age where we can get everything measured in blinks of an eye. And for those in the time of life when you’re supposed to “figure things out,” it’s wildly exciting and exceptionally terrifying.

In Frances Ha, Greta Gerwig (who also co-wrote with director and life partner Noah Baumbach) plays the titular role of a late twenty-something girl living in Brooklyn with roommate Sophie (Mickey Sumner). She’s already living beyond her means even with the roommate, having difficulty with her work as a not-that-talented professional modern dancer. Frances is basically just existing from day to day, hoping nothing too bad will happen. Her main joy in life is her dance and her very close friendship with Sophie, with chemistry that shines through everything else. But then Sophie decides to move to Japan with her rich boyfriend, and Frances needs to find something else. The rest of the movie is really more a series of moments and conversations, showing the gradual journey of Frances through a few good times and a few bad ones, without anything too serious or significant. It’s the struggles of a mostly average person with modest talents and a desire for closeness. There are a few glimpses of others, like a potential roommate and ladies man played by Adam Driver from Girls, who is pretty good here.

The movie is filmed entirely in post-converted black and white, with just the exact sort of quirky soundtrack you’d expect from this sort of indie fare. Much like any indie movie of this sort, it’s meandering and dull at times, joyful and true to life at others. Greta Gerwig plays it very low key and subtle nearly the entire time, showcasing a character that’s childish in temperament, gliding through life propelled by hope and other people’s good will. She’s pretty good, seeming simultaneously too young and too old at the same time, being drearily naive and also shockingly wise. There were a few stretches near the middle where I lost interest in some specific conversations (as the movie is nearly entirely that), but the final act picked up and became interesting again. It’s not the greatest thing ever, this movie (despite what some have opined), nor is it universal in its appeal. But watching Greta Gerwig dance unselfconsciously on the streets of New York to the music of something I won’t spoil has a charm that will either make you smile or roll your eyes.

Depending on which is more like your reaction should tell you precisely if you can enjoy this movie. As for me, I liked it, but that is because it ultimately isn’t cynical and the characters seem real. Sometimes you get sick of movies drenched in irony. Until the next one, anyway.

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