Directed by Lena Dunham, Starring: Lena Dunham, Jemima Kirke, Laurie Simmons, Grace Dunham
Tiny Furniture (2010)
What’s It About?
A recent college graduate returns to her home in New York City to try to figure out her next move while dealing with tumultuous relationships with her family, friends, and dating interests.
What We Thought:
Rob: This movie was interesting to watch, but it was a little disappointing as it unfolded. Even after the movie, I learn things that kind of took away from the experience. The cinematography was interesting, but the house the character lived in was directors actual house that belongs to her mother (who is a professional photographer) so I don’t know how much of it was the work of the director or her mother. The story was sort of just what the director was going through as an actual college graduate, but her mother is an accomplished photographer and the director lives in a nice area of New York. There are many more people who have much better stories to tell. The movie had a low budget, but the product looks like a student film, it doesn’t look like Monsters or any other movie that is low budget that doesn’t come across like a student film. The story was well written, however, it was a little drawn out and reduces rewatchability.
Jessica: I may have put this disappointment on myself, but I read so many really great things about this movie that I had really high expectations. I could see how the movie was intended to come off and I appreciated that quality but it just didn’t hit its mark for me. Some of the acting seemed really unnatural and the production quality made the whole thing seem more like a student film. However, this film had a very honest feeling to the whole thing that I really enjoyed. The writing was a strong point of this movie and captured some of the nuances of being a 20-something in the 2000’s (youtube celebrities and all). It is an exemplar personification of the mumblecore aesthetic (whether that is a strong point or not depends on your tastes). It definitely was not horrible by any means and as a first film by the director/writer/actress she made a movie that I see as a somewhat promising start.
40-60% =
Average movie. Contained some flaws but wasn’t unwatchable. Couldn’t get into the movie but wasn’t offended.
