Mistress America (Noah Baumbach)

johnny_ultimate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z8MCW16uZY

Thank **** this film exists. While We're Young was not a bad film, but nor was it a particularly good one. It seemed that after Noah Baumbach finally struck definitive gold with Frances Ha, he was regressing a bit. Mistress America excitedly disproves those fears, and only a few short months after his last film at that.

I was genuinely surprised at how well this works, and how unusually fresh it feels. Perhaps it should have been no surprise, since Greta Gerwig's collaboration really seems to bring out the best in Baumbach. Here she plays a slightly older, world-wearier riff on Frances - still full of giddy enthusiasm, but with a more cynical and hostile edge. Lola Kirke proves a very worthy foil to Gerwig - a smart but arrogant teenager a bit confused about adulthood, and in awe of the older woman and her seemingly carefree life.

What struck me about the film was its energy. Devoid of the instant romanticism provided by monochrome, and without an obvious feelgood highlight like Frances dancing down the street, Mistress America's filmmaking is more subtle but perhaps more formally mature. The film is edited at a manic speed befitting the characters - the 85 minutes breeze by in the nicest way. Even the dialogue feels like it's spoken a good 25% faster than normal people speak. Again, it works so well because the characters themselves feel exhausting. Baumbach and Gerwig are confident enough to not dwell on key insights or moments - the film's ceaseless forward momentum allows the dynamics to constantly shift, surprise and entertain. The montage can be a curse in the wrong hands, but it's utilised here several times to casually waltz through major plot and character beats with laid-back efficiency. It works, most importantly: it's confident to trust both the audience and performance to communicate what's necessary without wasting time, and move on to meatier stuff. With two lead actresses this strong, they work the nuances in so overemphasis is not necessary.

It's very funny, too, with a lengthy mid-film tangent leading into straight-up screwball territory for a good half hour. Again, the energy levels are maintained even when amusingly introducing more and more characters into an increasingly oddball crew. But most importantly is the film remains thematically tricky (in a good way) and the characters endearing but not always likable throughout. It's smart and witty and lively and weird, and let's hope Baumbach can break with his track record and follow this up with something equally worthy.

delbertgrady

As someone who adored Frances Ha and hated While We're Young, I was delighted to see that Baumbach was back on form with this.
While it lacks an obvious standalone feelgood moment like Frances dancing down the street (my favourite scene in cinema that year), any film that features Souvenir by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on the soundtrack - not once, but twice - gets my vote.
I felt the opening sequence alone (before the titles had even concluded) played out like a mini-movie all of its own. The fact that I was already feeling extremely positive about this film before Greta Gerwig had even appeared is testament to the quality of the writing and the performances.
In a cinematic world often populated by oh so clever young people delivering contrived dialogue, it also seemed less self-consciously scripted than some of Baumbach's other work. In clunkier hands, the characters would be utterly unconvincing and the dialogue forced. This doesn't have that problem.
Since it plays out like a companion piece to Frances Ha, choosing a favourite between the two is now a real challenge. Likely to be my film of the year.

Ciaran_B

I really liked it. I felt it lost a little energy when it moved out of New York (maybe that was a meta commentary on the lives of the characters?) but otherwise it was a delight. Great cast, characters, soundtrack and photography. It was great to be lost in the company of these characters for 90 minutes.

Baumbachs strongest effort to date.

MilesMorales1

You've made me excited to watch this now

NachoBusiness

I enjoyed watching this I suppose. It's very well written, acted and executed overall but I'm not sure what the point of it really is. The characters are well formed, some likable, some not (understandable nonetheless when they weren't). An interesting snapshot of the lives of a certain type of people but I just can't help feeling that it didn't really say all that much. Maybe it wasn't supposed to. Don't get me wrong, it's not as pointless as say a Sofia Coppola film, but it's in the same ballpark.

There's just no meat here. It's a perfectly crafted film, of that there can be no doubt, it's just that it really doesn't have a soul and as a result it's mostly forgettable. A loose plot is one thing, a meaningless and cold one is quite another. Woody Allen had something to say. I'm not sure Noah Baumbach really does, or if he does, it's not very interesting. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery they say. Well it can be, but eventually and invariably even the best mimics end up producing dull work in comparison if they either don't (or can't) add their own voice to proceedings. I've liked much of Noah's other films and so I think, in this particular case, it was more the former.

Decuc500

I really liked this (as I knew I would!). Very smart and humorous. I didn’t expect it to turn into a screwball comedy at one stage but it worked well.

One of the joys of Noah Baumbach’s films is his soundtracks are always so great and Dean Wareham, as well as composing it with Britta Phillips, turns up in a small role.

I couldn’t choose between this or While We’re Young. Two great films in one year.

RDM_83 again

Just seen it, ended up disliking literally every character a bit, not really sure if thats the point but it felt like with a slightly different tone/director it could be a satire of the overpriviliged WhiteWhiners. The characters didn't feel like real people and since it lacked any sort of message or storyline I'm not sure what the point of it is.
Definitely not a bad film, I had a few giggles and it was the right length but it was another one that confirms to me why there is a certain category of cinema I just don't really like at all.

TLDR Don't watch it if like me not a fan of Wes Anderson or Woody Allen

longshotvalue

The small enough club that is Lost in Translation, The Sunsets, and 500 days and a few others has another member

Top class, Greta Gerwig gets better and better.