I was surprised to read that Mistress America is not an autobiographical story or by Noah Baumbach or Greta Gerwig. They simply wanted to create a character that was, in itself, New York and that woke up every day wanting to do more and better things than the day before. On the other hand, the film also seems to want to launch a moral message -at least in the case of Tracy-: we are from where we belong -group of friends- and not from where we want to be -literature club-. However, as the film progresses, the arches of the characters end up being buried by the prominence that Brooke acquires as "Mistress America."
Why is the protagonist the sister? It is clear that the main character of Mistress America is not Tracy, but the curious Brooke - it is no coincidence that she is also the co-writer of the film. The point is that it is more attractive to show Brooke from someone else's eyes, since any attempt to delve into the character ends up incoherently. An example of this is the film's very long and absurd "climax", in which Brooke, Tracy and their friends go to Mamie's house - Claire and Dylan to find investors for the cafeteria. It is so implausible that Brooke gives up her dream of opening a store after exchanging two words with Dylan, such as breaking ties with her stepsister - and that she decides not to tell her until the script needs to give reasons for Tracy to get angry too - only for having written this a story based on it. But isn't Brooke one of those people who likes to be the center of attention? And above all, why, after that, do you decide that the city is not your place? Perhaps I am the one who does not share much with the genre, but I neither understand nor believe most of the film.
It is clear that Mistress America works better as a funny superficial phenomenon than as a portrait of a population. It also helps Gerwig look like an actress, an aspect in which there is little to reproach her for. Or maybe a lot. The truth is that it eats the rest of the cast. Her performance is so fluid, natural and improvised - without actually being one - that it makes me suspect that the film is nothing more than a simple means to achieve professional positioning.
On the other hand, I also think that the movie may feel different if you live in the New York frenzy. Perhaps in this way you get to savor the social satire that everyone talks about. Hopefully, since, from Spain, the only thing I can say is that it has entertained me only a little
Why is the protagonist the sister? It is clear that the main character of Mistress America is not Tracy, but the curious Brooke - it is no coincidence that she is also the co-writer of the film. The point is that it is more attractive to show Brooke from someone else's eyes, since any attempt to delve into the character ends up incoherently. An example of this is the film's very long and absurd "climax", in which Brooke, Tracy and their friends go to Mamie's house - Claire and Dylan to find investors for the cafeteria. It is so implausible that Brooke gives up her dream of opening a store after exchanging two words with Dylan, such as breaking ties with her stepsister - and that she decides not to tell her until the script needs to give reasons for Tracy to get angry too - only for having written this a story based on it. But isn't Brooke one of those people who likes to be the center of attention? And above all, why, after that, do you decide that the city is not your place? Perhaps I am the one who does not share much with the genre, but I neither understand nor believe most of the film.
It is clear that Mistress America works better as a funny superficial phenomenon than as a portrait of a population. It also helps Gerwig look like an actress, an aspect in which there is little to reproach her for. Or maybe a lot. The truth is that it eats the rest of the cast. Her performance is so fluid, natural and improvised - without actually being one - that it makes me suspect that the film is nothing more than a simple means to achieve professional positioning.
On the other hand, I also think that the movie may feel different if you live in the New York frenzy. Perhaps in this way you get to savor the social satire that everyone talks about. Hopefully, since, from Spain, the only thing I can say is that it has entertained me only a little