Review of Tiny Furniture (2010) by Bryce I — 16 Feb 2012

Lena Dunham is almost like an indie version of Wes Anderson. Her style is quite enjoying to observe, and I while I have no idea why Criterion has such a crush on their style, a cult following in the next few years would not surprise me in the slightest. With nothing more than a few thousand dollars and a small high-definition camcorder, I am impressed with the result. The cast members were all friends and actual family of Dunham's and shows just how devoted indie film-makers are becoming. Now that Miramax has become a very popular studio, they don't seem to be interested in indie films anymore. Nevertheless, Tiny Furniture is a great example of how well a film can be made even without the major studio to help. Though Tiny Furniture is not the most entertaining, or orthodox movie to come out of Hollywood in the last little while, there is no doubt that it is a modern criterion.

It's very easy to judge a film on it's status. Most viewers will take all the positive reviews and audience appeal into effect with a film like this more than ever. Yet that is what will drive most viewers away. Tiny Furniture is not an entertaining film. Though the jokes are smart, many of them do not come across as funny. To me, I was left there hoping for more out of the jokes. It felt like they could have been hilarious if a few words had been changed. Yet that would take away from the clever aspect of the line. I was very torn through-out the film for reasons such as those. The story line never got me hooked either. The main protagonist was boring, and almost annoyed me at times. The rest of the characters were decently cast, but not that well established. Because Though it was realistic, most of the scenarios just bored me.

I cannot blame Lena for her artistic ideas, mainly because her direction was sublime. Remembering that it was crafted through an Hd camcorder, there are several achievements to be noted. The cinematography is a great example of her style. The moments when the camera is still, opposed to moving are perfectly placed in the scenario. Yet, it feels as though nothing really happens. If there is a shift in it's dramatic appeal it's laughable. Or it's almost not even noticeable. The movie really is not that special. Apart from Dunham's direction and the camerawork, there is not much to be appreciated here. I could recommend the film, but it's mostly a hit or miss. Whether the film itself or the director will achieve a cult following sometime soon is not a question to ask at this point. A real question to ask is if you accept the film for what it is. I can not say that it is a modern classic, but I respect it for it's achievements. But there isn't much in it's premise to go off of, and if you have the choice, I would recommend watching something else.