Hannah Takes the Stairs

This film follows twenty-something Hannah through her hapless relationships and at her laidback workplace.

Directed 2007 by Joe Swanberg. Written by Swanberg and Greta Gerwig, who plays Hannah, along with the other actors in the film who improvised the dialogue.

REVIEW by Cinemagirl:

Hannah Takes the Stairs is an awkward ride, for the viewer and the characters.

Hannah is in her mid-twenties, starting a career and breaking out on her own. She lives with a female roommate and continually makes the same missteps in relationships. She is learning how to be an adult while still remaining herself.

The film follows Hannah through three relationships, which are all awkward and immature to varying degrees. I think the level of immaturity in the relationships - not just the fooling around with Slinkies but the conversation as well - is believable and accurate among characters that are all generally young, naive and just starting to spread their wings.

I found some of the dialogue annoying, or too playful and juvenile, but many times I was reminded of myself and my friends in college, doing stupid things like driving six hours to New Mexico for the day because we felt like it or walking around our city in a downpour and jumping in puddles because, well, what the hell?, we had already gotten wet.

The film is shot in digital video with a limited cast and crew. This is extremely low-budget filmmaking at its best. The crew consists of a director, camera person and boom operator, who probably also double as writer, editor and production manager. The lighting is all natural and completely motivated. The camera is handheld. Locations are real. Actual dirty dishes fill the sink. Hannah sleeps on a twin mattress on the floor. No frills here.

There are no conventional plot devices in this film, or a solid three acts for that matter. Instead, the film organically develops as a result of where the actors' dialogue has taken the director and camera guy. (Cinematographer is just too strict a word in this format.)

This film is part of the "mumblecore" or "Slackavetes" movement, so-named for the American director/writer/actor John Cassavetes who pioneered indie film with long takes, handheld shots and emotionally driven dialogue. "Mumblecore" is a rebirth of indie filmmaking in the past several years after indies started to "sell out" and command top-name actors. It embraces the punk rock ethic of DIY. ("We don't need their stinkin' money, let's get our own camera and shoot it ourselves!")

The cast and crew involved in Hannah have worked on each other's films in various capacities and continue to collaborate on new films that have been heartily embraced at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Texas. It will be interesting to see how the films develop as the filmmakers mature and go in new directions of life. This film was a refreshing change from the norm and a style I hope to see more of.

STORY: Was there a story? OK, 7 of 10. It was clever.
ACTING: 6 The "actors" do a good job, and their improvising works well for the story, but there are times some trained actors would've been helpful.
LOOK: 8 I'm a fan of shooting au naturel.
OVERALL: Worth the rent. Check out other films in this vein (incorporating the same people) such as "The Puffy Chair."