7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Tracy, a lonely college freshman in New York, is having neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when she is taken in by her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke—a resident of Times Square and adventurous gal about town—she is rescued from her disappointment and seduced by Brooke's alluringly mad schemes.
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Seth Barrish, Michael Chernus, Cindy CheungDrama | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Noah Baumbach’s fascination with the vagaries of youth continues with Mistress America, the fledgling auteur’s latest collaboration with main squeeze Greta Gerwig, who appears here as the polar opposite of Frances Ha, albeit within a context that is perhaps deliberately reminiscent of that 2012 film. In Mistress America Gerwig essays the role of Brooke Cardines, a manic Manhattanite who is (at various times) a groupie, spin class leader, prospective restaurant entrepreneur and (just for good measure) interior decorator. Brooke careens through life like a windup toy that’s been granted a magical energy supply that never wanes, something that instantly endears her to nerdy new college student Tracy Fishko (Lola Kirke). Tracy is having a hard time matriculating at Barnard, and in a pre-Thanksgiving phone chat with her mother (Kathryn Erbe), her mom suggests that Tracy try to meet Brooke, who is the daughter of the man Tracy’s mother is planning on marrying on Thanksgiving. The two young women will then be stepsisters, and Tracy’s mom is certain they’ll get along famously. Tracy is a bit on the shy side and isn’t initially swayed to contact Brooke, but when her application to Barnard’s tony literary magazine society is rejected, and when another Tony (Matthew Shear) doesn’t seem to recognize Tracy has an inordinate crush on him and he ends up with the petulant Nicolette (Jasmine Cephas Jones), Tracy takes a deep breath and reaches out to Brooke, who turns out to be everything Tracy’s mom thought she would be, and more. The two meet at Times Square, at which point Brooke takes Tracy on a whirlwind tour of various after hours haunts in the Big Apple, something that seems downright awe inspiring to the slightly wallflower-ish Tracy.
Mistress America is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Shot digitally with the Arri Alexa, this is a decently sharp and well detailed transfer than nonetheless may evoke a solid "meh" out of some videophiles due to the lack of any real consistent pop to the visuals. It looks like Baumbach and DP Sam Levy shot at least some of this during late fall or winter, and as such there's kind of a dreary overcast look to a lot of the exterior scenes, especially a couple in Connecticut. Low light (as in low to the horizon) also tends to creep into the interior scenes from outside, at times giving a slightly soft look when characters are directly in front of windows (which happens repeatedly at the super cool pad of Mamie-Claire and Dylan). All of this said, detail is quite good, especially in close-ups, where elements like the frizz on Tracy's hip beret are documented with excellent precision. Shadow definition is surprisingly commendable in a couple of dimly lit and/or nighttime scenes.
One of the highlights of Mistress America is the retro-80s synth laden score by Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham, and the Blu-ray's DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 track supports that whimsical element very well, as it also does with the glut of source cues Baumbach stuffs into the proceedings. Some of the urban cityscape scenes offer excellent immersion courtesy of the hustle and bustle of downtown Manhattan, and a couple of relatively brief exterior scenes in Connecticut offer some discrete placement of environmental effects. Dialogue is very cleanly presented and is well prioritized on this problem free track.
- Story (1080p; 3:36)
- Brooke (1080p; 1:38)
- Tracy (1080p; 1:50)
Baumbach can be an acquired taste, but in some ways Mistress America is one of the more easily accessible entries from this typically interesting writer-director. The film's humor is more whimsical than hilarious, though there are a couple of laugh out loud moments once the full flower of the farcical elements blossom later in the proceedings. Gerwig and Kirke have wonderful chemistry together, and the supporting cast is colorful and enjoyable. Technical merits are strong, and even without much in the way of supplements Mistress America comes Recommended.
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The Woody Allen Collection
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The Woody Allen Collection
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