WOODY ALLEN invented the urbane oddball New York comedy as we know it, but despite being the genre's pioneer, he has never quite been its master. From "Manhattan" and "Deconstructing Harry", to "Mighty Aphrodite" and "Celebrity", Mr Allen's work is routinely weighed down by his formulaic fantasies, personal predilections, and cloying self-indulgence. Now, thankfully, director and writer Noah Baumbach has come along to show him how it really ought to be done. "Mistress America" is a crisp, nuanced comedy about ambitious young people finding their way in the city, without the characteristic Allen pitfalls.
