On the surface this is yet another version of The Graduate. A girl is done with college and looking for direction in life. But I think there is much more here than just that. This is a particularly young and frank version of contemporary life, particularly for younger kids today entering the world when there are no jobs available, when you can basically do anything you want with a computer (publish your own book, write your own newspaper, record a hit single). It's not easier this way, however, it possibly puts much more pressure on you because so much is expected of you (you went to college, after all) and at the same time almost nothing is expected of you too (well, it's really hard out there right now).
Aura has a very hip downtown friend, Charlotte, who introduces her to a loser named Jed (played by mumblecore star Alex Karpovsky). He is in New York for a stretch of time and is crashing on the floors of his friends' places. When her mom goes out of tow, Aura invited Jed to stay with them for a bit. She bumps around lower Manhattan for awhile, finds a dead-end job as a reservationist/hostess at a restaurant, flirts with a chef at that restaurant, does some drugs, searches for direction.
I would really call this film post-mumblecore, as it treats relationships, sex and human interaction with a super-frank tone, but has a much more elegant and thought-out visual look. There are some absolutely wonderful shots and set-ups that Dunham gives us. Some that seem way beyond her years and some, even, that are a bit showy (in a very Jonathan Franzen showy way... we get that you're super talented, please don't rub our faces in your fanciness).
Dunham herself is a less-than-totally-in-shape girl, but she shows herself naked or in slightly unflattering clothes a fair amount. I really don't think she's making a point about sexuality - other than to say there is no point here about nudity. She's comfortable in her skin and we should be comfortable with her. It's just not a thing. This is very similar to the mumblecore view of sex and nudity: Sex and nudity happen - deal with it, dudes. What might be more interesting here is the view of many who think that she's really saying something here with her nudity. It's as if the only way we can understand her own view of sexuality is to contextualize it in our own frame of reference. But I think she's not saying anything, the same way you're not saying anything when you wear shorts or sandals. It's just a fact. There.
Dunham does treat sex very frankly and dispassionately, but I think this is more a reflection of her generation's view of sex than anything else. It might be jarring for us to witness what appears like a disgusting fuck session in the street (bordering on date rape), but to young people (young women), this is typical and not special. Aura owns her own sexuality because it is hers, because it is of her skin, the same way her imperfect body is hers. She can own a bad sex experience the same way she can have a bad day at work. On to the next day, on to the next boy to fuck.
Stars: 3 of 4
No comments:
Post a Comment