Tiny Furniture

UK Release: 30th March 2012

Watched on Recorded TV: Friday 12th April 2013

Rating: 15

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Runtime: 1hr 38mins

IMDb Plot Synopsis: About a recent college grad who returns home while she tries to figure out what to do with her life.

My Review: I had high hopes for Tiny Furniture as, being Lena Dunham’s cinematic debut, it had great hype attached to it. Lena Dunham is an unstoppable force, trailblazing the way for young women in the infamously competitive world of the Film and TV industry. She is truly an inspiration to me as I take my next steps towards a similar path.

Lena’s most well known work is, of course, Girls. The controversial yet wildly well received HBO series looking at the lives of four early twenty-somethings living in New York city, as well as the men in their life. What has made it so popular is how relatable and raw the show is as it manages to competely sum up a generation’s mood in terms of wanting a the dream (whether it be the career, the relationship or the lifestyle) and yet it being out of reach due to the times we live in. New York is portrayed in a decidedly un-Sex and the City like manner and for that it has been applauded. It is this realism trait than runs through Tiny Furniture. The cinematography, while less polished than in Girls, is still dynamic and the feel of a raw New York is very much put across.

However, while I found Tiny Furniture interesting it was far less engaging than Girls. It fell into that indie trap of a great concept but very little plot and so by the end I was left a little unsatisfied. I suppose you could argue similarly with Girls, but at least you are well connected with the characters and they each have their own story-arcs. Here, I didn’t really any of the characters at all, and the supporting cast didn’t have much time to leave much of an impression. 

So while it was interesting and for a debut definitely something to look up to, if it didn’t have Dunham’s writing/directing/acting I fear the film would have little to none of the attention it has gotten. It’s all down to Lena Dunham in the end as she is compelling to watch and while this may not be her best work it is fascinating to follow her journey to where she is today. 

I suppose it just shows her progress already is outstanding in such little time - I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Score: 7/10