Review of Mistress America (2015) by Reece L — 12 Dec 2015

Thank god for Greta Gerwig, a woman capable of reigning in Baumbach's irritating propensity for the verbose and the glorification of the privileged white male, infusing some refreshing honesty into his work that otherwise often feels elitist and condescending.

Mistress America really gets the college experience right, from the unhelpful staff, to the lying about having eaten in order to hang out with other people, to the self-loathing and regular loathing of every other collegiate struggling to get a hold on the profound in order to escape their awkward transitionary period into adulthood.

This is all established in the first ten minutes, paving the way for Gerwig's stellar entrance who immediately makes what was already an enjoyable film even lovelier, her character a woman who never went through the awkward college phase and subsequently dances around New York transparently pretending to be an adult, speaking in laughable platitudes and pseudo-intellectual quips that come across as charming instead of obnoxious.

The screwball dialogue is fast and hilarious, the cinematography is unfussy and beautiful, and the performances are excellent, culminating in one of Baumbach's best efforts and one of the most fun and thoughtful films of the year.