Review of Tiny Furniture (2010) by Cydnee B — 29 Apr 2015

Criticism of Dunham's work usually consists of pointing out the privilege, entitlement, and irritating suspended-adolescence her characters exist within. These criticisms fail to take into account the fact that Dunham imbues her work with these themes intentionally, making it both an exploration of a subculture and an indictment of the ways in which this subculture functions.

The transitional period between academia and stability is miserable and unappealing and annoying and it turns people into self-obsessed narcissists; that's exactly what Dunham captures here. "Tiny Furniture" has bizarre moments of humor offset with uncomfortable outbursts from a family with intentionally irritating qualities; if you view the film with this mindset the experience is much more rewarding both comedically and in terms of the insight you gain from these characters' existential musings.