First Hit: A haphazard and oddly depressing film which isn’t all that funny but poignant about some of the attitudes of youth.
This somewhat strange film is about a college girl named Aura (played by Lena Dunham), who moves back home and has little idea of what to do next. It isn’t an uncommon tune for someone just coming out of college.
Her mom Siri (played by her real mother Laurie Simmons) and sister Nadine (played by her real sister Grace Dunham) have a more cohesive relationship and it is apparent that the “older” daughter has had a more difficult row to hoe than her younger sibling.
Most of us who are the oldest know about this difference. Parents hold their oldest children to a higher, and oftentimes different, mark than they do their other children. Anyway, her mother came to her profession somewhat by accident.
She is a photographer who shoots tiny furniture often with grown up limbs or feet in them. She was once hailed as avant-garde in this approach to art and therefore has made a successful living for herself and her two daughters.
There is no father in their life. The oldest returns home with the hopes of her college friend moving to New York City and they will share an apartment. She is somewhat depressed because her college boyfriend just broke up with her as they headed their separate ways, and her younger sister irritates her. She gets a part time job which she hates and falls for a vagabond YouTube artist who does some somewhat lame vignettes that she likes.
This film is just about her trying to find her balance and her next steps. At times it’s pretty good in how it portrays the college youth of today and other times is it like a headless chicken.
The best scenes are when Aura is with her old grade school friend Charlotte (played by Jemima Kirke) who is a trust fund baby. Charlotte is into experimenting with her life and uses Aura as a steadfast friend to whom she can turn.
Lena Dunham starred, wrote and directed this film. She can be interesting to watch from time to time but she may be better off writing as there were some real sparks in the script. Her direction left me with a feeling like she didn’t know how to put some scenes together. Simmons was OK as the mom. Grace Dunham seemed to throw herself into the role and I’m sure she had a blast working with her sister. Kirke was fun to watch and the most exciting thing on the screen.
Overall: Nothing to write home about and not very funny.