Hannah Takes The Stairs Review

Joe Swanberg’s no-budget comedy has countless problems, the bulk of which derive from the fact it’s been improvised by Greta Gerwig and a cast of mumblecore directors. The vaguely linear narrative charts Gerwig’s romantic progress from musician Mark Duplass through boss Andrew Bujalski to co-worker Kent Osborne. Throughout, Gerwig is smart and engaging, but Swanberg allows too many breeze-shooting sequences to meander. Aping Cassavetes and Jarmusch is a laudable intention, but there’s a difference between artistically shaping impromptu material and hoping it will turn out alright in the end.