Noah Baumbach’s (Kicking and Screaming, The Squid and the Whale) tale of a 27-year-old woman struggling with impending maturity (now termed a “quarter-life crisis”) stands way out from a seemingly endless parade of Gen-X dreck.

Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote with the director, brings along her gifts for physical comedy and off-kilter timing.

An aspiring dancer, Frances misses social cues, ignores advice and talks too much. Her complacent life is derailed by the impending marriage of her roomie Sophie (Sting’s kid Mickey Sumner; great). Exuberant, poignant, wryly funny and offbeat without cynicism. It’s honest. (86 min)