‘I’ll fix this. This is my fault…’
At his best, renowned mumblecore pioneer Joe Swanberg makes films that are utterly unique and incredibly authentic. At his worst, his work is meandering and grating. Hannah Takes the Stairs is somewhere in the middle, but as it features a great cast made up of Greta Gerwig, Mark Duplass, Kent Osborne and others, this one feels like more of a missed opportunity than most…
Hannah (Gerwig) is in a failing relationship with Mike (Duplass), further complicated by the fact that she is crushing on both of her co-workers (played by Osborne and Andrew Bujalski). Normally, I would try to add a few character traits to identify one character from another, but honestly? That doesn’t really apply here. Osborne’s Matt and Bujalski’s Paul are both goofy cool guys, creatives who can also be driven when needs be. There is really nothing to separate them from numerous other Swanberg creations.
That being said, you can’t assemble a cast of with this much talent without stumbling on something that works, and when Hannah Takes the Stairs is good, it is really good. A frank conversation about anti-depressants here. A trumpet duet there. But these moments are too few and far between, and while the lack of plot is a key feature of the mumblecore movement, this film is too aimless, too meandering.
Mumblecore completists will find plenty to enjoy here (as I did), but for someone dipping their toe in the water, Swanberg has plenty of better films in his oeuvre to offer.