Problem I had with Frances Ha is that I only have limited sympathy for middle-class partially talented people who aren't quite good enough to follow their artistic ambitions and can't quite be bothered to get a normal job instead. Maybe Frances should've been sent to work on a construction site on an endless loop…

Agreed! I think it'll be looked back on as an under-appreciated gem. My review at criticker.com: "Some may say this is an unremarkable film, but I think it serves a very important function of continuing a vital tradition of well-plotted, well-styled and perfectly-acted thrillers tracing back to the early days of…

Good definitions of pretentiousness. Agree about Baumbach, but I have to defend PTA — I don't think he's pretentious, I just think his films are difficult to watch, which can be taken as pretentiousness. For example, The Master is so hard to digest because it is an 'anti-redemption' film about a really unpleasant…

Kudos for putting The Master at no.1! My belief is that anybody who didn't like The Master should re-watch the scene where Freddy repeatedly walks from the wall to the window on a loop for at least 2 hours until they get it! And then be subject to a withering stare from Laura Dern…