FilmSnobReviews

Title: Mistress America
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Seth Barrish
Runtime: 1 hr 24 mins
What It Is: Tracy (Kirke) is a lonely college student, who is supposed to go to her mothers wedding over Thanksgiving. With that she’ll get a new step-sister in Brooke (Gerwig) who is a posh thirtysomething living in New York City. Tracy will learn from her older proposed sibling including what it is to be an independent young woman in the jungle of NYC. Through it all she will keep writing on her experiences, and possibly forget to tell Brooke she’s doing so.

What We Think: Some may think this is the typical Baumbach fodder, not so fast. Sans the indie quirk of the norm that is Baumbach’s signature we get some great back and forth between the characters. Often there an intellect with his dialogue, that still permeates here, but there’s a hilarity to it. Particularly the last act moves like a Tennesse Williams play more so than a movie in 2015. This film is a delight. Gerwig is charming as ever with her whimsy and magical personality. Lola Kirke is great here, and for her performance she has already received a Gotham Award nomination. I expected this to be more like While We’re Young and it wasn’t, it was far better. This is far more reminiscent of Margot at the Wedding with its family dynamic.

Our Grade: B+, Check this film out. It has a definite indie quirk to it that some might find outputting. You’d watch this due to your affinity for that very same sensibility. Greta Gerwig continues to collab with her beau Baumbach, and the two have hit a new high with this one. Check it out as I am recommending this. While you’re at it check out some of Baumbach’s other works, they’re all pretty good.