Movie Review - Mistress America

Mistress America ***½ (out of 5) (R) After a string of enjoyable, low-key indie films like Frances Ha and Hannah Takes the Stairs, it’s hard to decide whether Greta Gerwig is more gifted as a writer or actress. Fortunately, there’s no rush for an answer, since she once again shines at both in another smart, character-driven comedy, directed by her main squeeze and co-author, Noah Baumbach. I have no clue about, or particular interest in, their personal lives; but many are grateful for how well they click as a creative team.

Gerwig’s on-screen wheelhouse is the portrayal of women everyone can root for. Intelligent, funny, insecure; more attractive than they realize; getting in the way of their own aspirations, whether romantic or occupational, with generally engaging flaws or quirks. Some are too shy; others, as here, may be too scattered, but all come from places that arouse our empathy. This time, she’s a semi-delusional Manhattan-based dreamer in her late 20s whose father is about to re-marry. His intended’s daughter (Lola Kirke) is a freshman at Columbia, with no clear idea of her place in the world, or even on campus. She aspires to a writing career, but seems adrift in her new environs, socially and academically. Once she summons the courage to meet her soon-to-be stepsister, she discovers the most interesting person she’s ever met. Gerwig’s enthusiastic embrace of her new semi-sibling suddenly makes life far more stimulating for Kirke, filled with boundless possibilities for adventures and inspiration for her craft.

Kirke is actually the centerpiece, playing an amalgam of Gerwig’s younger roles - also bright, pretty and socially awkward. Gerwig job-hops frenetically, seemingly surrounded by friends and opportunities, brimming with grand plans, yet always just shy of completion. Kirke’s first stabs at finding takers for her romance and prose sail wide right, making Gerwig’s boundless, if not manic, energy seem a more promising path to her own enlightenment than anything she could find in Columbia’s ivy-drenched curriculum.

Their intertwined journeys play out via a witty script, with sparkling bits of dialog that make us like the players more as the film progresses. The two women share ups and downs, including conflicts between themselves and with others. Some aspects of the screenplay are reminiscent of Woody Allen’s post-slapstick comedies, mixing farce with more insightful character development, while making Manhattan more than a convenient backdrop. Kirke’s performance and both levels of Gerwig’s contributions bode well for whatever they do next. (8/28/15)