Review of Mistress America (2015) by Jeff N — 30 Aug 2015

There is a line in the movie which encapsulates what this film is going for --about driving and never wishing a road trip would have to end - "you just want it to keep going." Much is the bittersweet notions of feeling young, wanting to stay free, and being in control of one's own life. There are some deep, touching notions woven into what at first glance is a flighty comedy about odd angles.

Mistress America is actually more like a lit club geek retelling the Great Gatsby in many interpersonal, neurotic ways.

We feel small, meet someone who seems to hold the world by a string, realize it goes in circles, then nowhere. By holding onto someone else's image, it's a day dream -- even amongst earnestness, running toward it all the while realizing it fell apart.

I had a hard time keeping up with the level of absurd toward the end, but the performances and timing make up for the level of realism. By the end, what you have is a noble short story about a character who got lost in her 20s after her mother died, and adopted the New York City fantasy.

This movie has some subtle but original soul crusades with the quirkyness you come to expect from the Mumble-Bach. Spirit Says: "go see it, and throw your expectations in the river.".

See also: Something Wild, Flirting With Disaster, Annie Hall.