Here’s another film by Noah Baumbach and he’s back working with his frequent collaborator and partner Greta Gerwig. One difference this time around is she isn’t playing the point of view character here as newcomer Lola Kirke is the lead. However she is credited as a co-scriptwriter, just as she was for Frances Ha, and I like how the two films share some similar themes.
Tracy moves to New York to start college but has trouble making friends. She gets to know Tony as they are both aspiring writers and want to join the same literary club on campus. She is discomfited when another girl becomes his girlfriend. Her mother who is about to re-marry encourages her to get in touch with Brooke, her soon to be stepsister who also lives in the city. The two get along surprisingly well and Tracy becomes fascinated with her life. Brooke is trying to get her dream restaurant started, and in the meantime gets by with doing odd jobs like being a gym trainer and teaching tuition. But when her long distance boyfriend and chief financier suddenly breaks up with her, she has to scramble to find money and has to resort to approaching an old friend who she accuses of steal her former fiancé. Tracy comes along to help her while secretly using her source material for her own writing that paints her in a negative light.
Like most of Baumbach’s films, this one is very short and is driven almost entirely by dialogue. The energy and pacing are great and I love the interesting social dynamics and how characters aren’t pigeonholed into easily broken down stereotypes. There are some amusing moments of humor as well, most at the expense of Tony and his possessive girlfriend. One of the longest scenes in the film takes place in the house of Brooke’s rival and ex-fiancé. I think the director shows his hand a bit too blatantly in putting all of his characters into the house and even adding random extraneous characters to add to the social pressure and confusion but it’s a cheap way to make a film and I rather like such scenes when they’re well done.
Still this probably isn’t one of Baumbach best works and leans heavily on the personality traits given to Brooke. My wife seems upset that someone with so much drive and creativity doesn’t seem to be able to find much success in life. But as with Frances Ha, part of the theme is that sometimes shit happens and success may be just a matter of luck. The film also shows Brooke as not being very good with money and perhaps not ruthless enough to grab opportunities as her friend Mamie-Claire is, which is again very much in line with Baumbach’s usual themes. More problematic is her relationship with the unseen boyfriend who she seemingly cheats on with zero guilt and when she is dumped, she only cares about it inasmuch as it affects her finances. Tracy never comments or passes judgment on this behavior either. On the other hand I agree that Tracy is completely justified in writing a fictionalized account of Brooke’s life. Having everyone condemn her for it makes for good drama but is rather ridiculous and unfair.
All told, this is a small, quiet film and is just about okay. I enjoyed it and it made for an interesting after movie discussion with my wife but it would likely leave very little impression on us a few years down the road. Whereas something like The Squid and the Whale is powerful enough that I will remember it forever.