Noah Baumbach's latest film, Mistress America, tells the story of Tracy, a lonely college freshman in New York who has aspirations as a writer. Not having the exciting college experience she envisioned, Tracy contacts her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke, who invites her to visit in New York City. Living in Times Square, Brooke is essentially an energetic manifestation of what a stream of conscious would look like, an adventurous 30 year-old who has a million ideas a minute, bouncing from one scheme to the next, never following through on her vast ambitions. Allured by Brooke's energy and optimism towards the future, Brooke begins to spend all of her down time with her soon-to-be sister. Noah Baumbach's Mistress America is a kinetic piece of filmmaking full of energy and life, which is bound to instantly appeal to some viewers while others will find its bubbly energy endlessly annoying. The film is witty and clever, but while I was watching Mistress America I struggled at times to understand the point of Baumbauch's latest effort, a film which felt like another charming, well-written film but simply more directionless and uneven at first. Brooke is a character who is very self-involved and borderline annoying at times, but as the film progresses it becomes clear that she is a quietly tragic character, a woman who isn't directionless, just desperate to make her imprint on the world. This is where Mistress America transcends what I feared was becoming more-of-the-same from the filmmaker, as the Mistress America slowly reveals its thematic intentions about the oppressive nature of societies' viewpoint of success. Through this energetic character of Brooke, Baumbach touches on how finances can define an individuals success, never vilifying money but capturing how the exuberance of youth is typically shattered under the weight of "growing up". The film certainly doesn't paint Brooke as a victim, and perhaps what makes this film so interesting is Baumbach's ability to stay relatively neutral in this dissection of youth, capturing the clash with adulthood and direction in a way that never chooses sides between them. I also found it interesting how Mistress America feels much more sporadic than much of Noah Baumbauch's other work, almost as if the film itself is constructed to match the actions of Brooke's indecisive nature. I wouldn't say it's the most nuanced and full-developed theme, the commentary centered around money's ability to stifle creativity is also interesting. While I would argue the film struggles on some of its more dramatic beats, Noah Baumbach's Mistress America is hip, funny, energetic comedy, offering a unique vision and examination of youth and adulthood.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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