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Capsule summary: ‘Tiny Furniture’

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By Matthew Odam | Sunday, March 14, 2010, 08:00 PM

For years now, audiences have been relentlessly fed a diet of male-centric comedy: by the guys and for the guys, but often with just enough charm and heart to draw a female audience (at least I would imagine that is the hope of studios). While not generally sexist or misogynist, these films often leave women to play secondary characters, rarely plumbing their depths and either relegating them to comedic foils (husks, really) or sanitizing them into handy archetypes.

Many small, intimate films have portrayed the plight of wayward 20-somethings stumbling awkwardly into adulthood, but few have so effectively accomplished it from such an honest and often neglected point of view. That, in part, is why “Tiny Furniture,” written and directed by 23 year-old Lena Dunham is so refreshing yet familiar.

(That, in part, is why “Tiny Furniture,” written and directed by 23 year-old Lena Dunham feels so utterly original. Many small, intimate films have portrayed the plight of wayward 20-somethings stumbling awkwardly into adulthood, but few have so effectively accomplished it from the often neglected point of view of a young woman.)

Having moved back to her artist mother’s loft in New York City following graduation from a college in the Midwest, Aura (Dunham) searches for a sense of purpose and self-worth amidst a sea of pretentious would-be artists; immature and opportunistic men; and low-paying jobs.

The brilliantly written dialogue, especially between Aura and her (actual) mother and sister (Laurie Simmons and Grace Dunham), is burdened and enlivened by the offerings of daily life, both mundane and profound, and offers a pace and emotional depth that feels utterly natural. Even when it is incredibly witty, the movie never feels overwrought or embellished. It seems as it if is telling a truth, one that we have not heard enough in movies.

“Tiny Furniture” screens Monday, March 15 at 2:15 PM at Alamo Ritz 1; Tuesday, March 16 at 11:30 AM at Alamo South; and Saturday, March 20 at 4:15 PM at Alamo Ritz 2.

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