Why Noah Baumbach is the Great American Director of Contemporary Life

Noah Baumbach

It wasn't long ago where I could say that I didn't like the work of director Noah Baumbach. It wasn't a vitriolic hatred. It was one of those apathetic things in which his work just didn't seem appealing. Of course, he had made The Squid and The Whale: a film that is still one of the rawest and truest looks into a divorce. But what else really was there? Greenberg felt like it was a retread to the navel gazing indie movement that Joe Swanberg perfected and most people hated. In fact, he was arguably better on script duties, hitting a home run with his second collaboration with Wes Anderson called Fantastic Mr. Fox, which is still one of the best animated films in recent years. In a way, there was something in that experience that got me to care. You see, it was a film that helped me to understand the appeal of Baumbach. In fact, I may even go as far as to think that he is one of my favorite working American directors now.

Review: "Mistress America" Confirms Gerwig and Baumbach as the Modern Masters of Intellectual Screwball Comedies

Scene from Mistress America

Late in director Noah Baumbach's latest Mistress America, sisters-to-be Tracy (Lola Kirke) and Brooke (Greta Gerwig) travel to meet an old high school friend who may help to invest in her new restaurant idea. While this sounds like an easy scene to pull off, there's actually layers that involve Tracy's two friends, a jealous couple, an arrogant neighbor, and a pregnant woman waiting to be picked up. What starts off as a novelty concept quickly turns into madcap fun as the plot unfolds not through one on one conversations, but constant interruptions and shifting of focus. Like the characters, we become distracted by the little things. When things finally come to the collision, it is inspiring. This isn't because the story is necessarily new, but what it has done is rather ingenious. What Gerwig has done, quite effectively, is update the screwball comedy without losing a single essence of what makes it work. All she did was update the setting, sprinkle a little art house in, and tackle the familiar story of young go-getters facing financial struggles.

The "Mistress America" Promises the Delightful Return of Gerwig and Baumbach

Left to right: Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke

Director Noah Baumbach is already looking to have a great 2015. Following the highly enjoyable Frances Ha in 2013, he has already released While We're Young: a look at how generations relate to each other. It was funny, insightful, and showed the director finding his niche as a filmmaker. With the trailer for his next film of the year, Mistress America, he teams up with the writer and star Greta Gerwig, who made the 2013 comedy such a big hit. Along with the prospect of more lightning in a bottle chemistry, is there any chance that we'll be seeing another great female-lead comedy in the cards? From the looks of it, yes.