Frances Ha, the new movie starring Greta Gerwig as an apprentice dancer in New York, has been critically acclaimed ahead of its release this week. The movie, by Noah Baumbach (Squid And The Whale, Margot At The Wedding), follows a young woman named Frances who lives with her best friends Sophie, until she moves out to live with another pal.

Gerwig and Baumbach first collaborated in 2010's Greenberg, starring Ben Stiller, though decided to work together again and began exchanging ideas which ultimately became the co-written script for Frances Ha. The movie is shot in black-and-white to emulate parts in Woody Allen's Manhattan (1979) and the movie is gaining comparisons to the director's most famous work, Annie Hall (1977). The film boasts a 92% score on reviews aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes (Star Trek Into Darkness 81%, Iron Man 78%) and critics have been unanimous in their praise. "An American independent film (shot in luminous black and white by Sam Levy) that feels off the cuff but is in fact exactly made by a filmmaker in total control of his resources," said Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times. John Anderson of the Wall Street Journal said, "Perhaps Ms. Gerwig is the greatest actress alive. And maybe "Frances Ha" is just the ghost orchid of independent cinema."

Watched the Frances Ha trailer:

The hard-nosed A.O Scott of the New York Times was equally enamoured with Frances Ha, writing, "Ms. Gerwig, who has effortless, behind-the-beat verbal timing, also possesses a knack for physical comedy, an enviable ability to obliterate the difference between clumsiness and grace."

Frances Ha, directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Greta Gerwig, hits theaters in the U.S on a limited run from today (May 17, 2013).