MISTRESS AMERICA – The Review

With MISTRESS AMERICA, Noah Baumbach returns to embrace two of his recent muses: Greta Gerwig and New York City. This is his second indie darling of 2015 following WHILE WE’RE YOUNG from earlier this year. And while both films address ideas of ambition and ambivalence amongst the 20-30 something crowd, MISTRESS AMERICA may have more to say because it’s not saying it as loud or dramatically as the former film.

In a charming and vibrant turn, newcomer Lola Kirke plays college freshmen Tracy. She struggles for attention but doesn’t want friends nearly as much as she wants to be accepted into the school’s prestigious literary society. You know that they are a big deal because “they all carry around leather briefcases.” Her mother is about to get married and encourages Tracy to meet her soon to be step-sister Brooke (Greta Gerwig). Brooke is everywhere all at once. She has a million plates spinning at once and is constantly looking for more. Tracy is enamored with Brooke and becomes even more so as she hears about the new restaurant Brooke hopes to open in New York City with the help of her long-distant boyfriend. As you can expect, his investment comes to a screeching halt when the two of them break-up. Now Brooke is desperate for money and looks for help from an old friend with her plan. The only downside is that her old friend is now married to a woman who Brooke believes stole her million dollar t-shirt idea and her two cats many years ago. Through all of this, Tracy continues to gain inspiration from Brooke and sees her life as the subject for her short story.

Noah Baumbach’s penchant for embracing melodrama and sentimentality has never felt more at home than in this 1980’s tinged film. His films have consistently bordered on being too precious and often tread similar water – though reusing the same city and actress doesn’t help matters – but MISTRESS AMERICA seems like a director embracing a different tone than his previous films. Sure, it feels in many ways connected to 2013’s FRANCES HA with a dash of WHILE WE’RE YOUNG, but it also feels like Baumbach’s lightest film yet. And that’s not a negative thing. There’s a breezy manner to how the story floats along and much of this has to do with the John Hughes-esque vibe he imparts on the story.

The 1980’s inspired music, the opening title treatment, and certain visual touches (walking down the sidewalk and laughing during a music montage) give the film a self-aware but nostalgic feel in search of being a “simpler” film. Even though it fits thematically with the fact that Tracy is writing about Brooke, lending the film an occasional voiceover adds to the 80’s charm. Baumbach’s snappy dialogue and Gerwig’s “mumble-core” style both come out more or less in qual parts. It isn’t until the last half of the film where I felt Gerwig’s influence too much. What could have been a madcap extended scene turned into much, much more than that. Containing the last half of the film in one location is a daring risk that doesn’t quite payoff.

Brooke’s plan for her new restaurant is an obvious extension of her overarching character; a messy arrangement of ideas and chairs that are always shifting without a clear plan or specific goal. It’s all about the feeling it gives off. She’s all emotion and energy, which is why Tracy is instantly intrigued by her. Her kinetic spirit plays perfectly against Tracy’s more green and passive personality. Her kinetic character becomes food for fodder for Tracey and the audience. Brooke is that over the top character you would expect to see in a screwball stage play that you laugh at because she is so ridiculous – even though she’s completely unaware of the audience enjoying themselves at her expense. She’s similar to Alicia Silverstone’s character in CLUELESS but not as vapid. She speaks heartfelt thoughts without an inkling of what she’s actually saying. In bringing her to life, Gerwig walks a fine line between being detestable and endearing.

Considering that Noah Baumbach has released two films now in the same year, it would seem that he is following in the footsteps of his filmic muse’s character in MISTRESS AMERICA– running  himself manic without really accomplishing anything at all. Thankfully that’s not the case. Noah Baumbach continues to find ways to excite the viewer and make them laugh, while examining the hysterical crisis that we call life.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

MISTRESS AMERICA opens Friday, August 28 in St. Louis at the Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema and the Tivoli Theatre.