A Review of "Girls"

I've finally seen every episode of HBO's new series Girls. The first couple episodes were very charming and I found myself hooked. As someone who is in a similar situation as the protagonist, Hannah, I felt that the depiction of a struggling writer facing her terrifyingly bleak future was pretty accurate: the way she stuffed her face with a dinner her parents bought her in the shot that opened the series as well as her reasoning behind the illustrations tattooed on her shoulder were such genuine, humanizing depictions of the artist as a young woman. I'll admit it, I was charmed by Lena Dunham's witty creation.

Girls
Starring: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Adam Driver
Created by Lena Dunham
My Opinion: Sassy and modern,
but in danger of growing stale

However, as the series moved on, the focus shifted from on Hannah's struggle in the job market: something that we can all relate to with the staggering unemployment rate of today. In fact, this important plot point moved from the forefront to backstage. For example, I would find myself bewildered when Hanna was suddenly in an unfamiliar office that I had never witnessed her finding. There was one hilariously disastrous interview that I recall, but that obviously didn't go anywhere. So how did she land the gigs with the touchy-feely old guy and as a barista at some trendy coffee shop? The audience never learns the story of how Hannah obtained two different jobs with no experience. Because Hannah's lack of qualifications for any job is such a fundamental part of her character, these little details cannot be left out; it's an unfortunate missed opportunity and it left me rather disappointed.

Furthermore, the first couple episodes displayed the graphic sex and lack of censorship for which HBO has always been known. However, I began to notice a trend in the intimate scenes. Hannah frequently noted that she came close to having an orgasm but never actually did, Marnie tried to have sex with Charlie only to get him back and stopped half way through and Jessa was seen having sex with a man purely to exert her power over him. Despite the sometimes darker ironic comedy in the show, this pattern revealed something more dismal than the abortion waiting room party- Girls don't have sex for themselves.

While this may be an accurate comment on the lives of some girls, I know for a fact that women enjoy sexual pleasure and to fail to indulge that fact is rather old fashioned. Jessa seems to discuss her sexual escapades enough, but why don't we see it? Furthermore, as the series draws on, most of the sex leaves the screen. I'm not saying I'm disappointed that it didn't turn into a porno, but these are the lives of 20-somethings in New York City- where's the fucking?

At this point in the series, the partying ways of the Girls are the most entertaining. Shoshanna unwittingly hitting a crack pipe was a great plot point and I even like how the events of the party dispelled Jessa's relationship with her boss. That whole episode was well played out, but the series needs to continually hit on the lives of all four of the girls. When it focuses too tightly on one, the show gets a little stale. Or perhaps, when the plot focuses too much on Hannah and her rather dull relationship with Adam, the bad aftertaste deepens.

In conclusion, I see a lot of potential for the remainder of this series and I'm very excited to see where it goes next season. However, I do hope they can perform some upkeep with what was so alluring initially: struggle.

"We Need to Talk About Kevin"

Tilda Swinton stars as Eva in We Need to Talk About Kevin. Eva is the burdened mother of a budding psychopath who struggles with her own social problems and is now cursed with a child who is set on making her life a misery. The film follows Eva's relationship with Kevin, from conception to his development into a young man.

We Need to Talk About Kevin
Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller
Directed by: Lynne Ramsay
My Opinion: A little one dimensional, but decently enjoyable

The film is shot with subdued tones which contrast sharply against the splashes of red paint that Eva finds on her house and car in the film's graphic opening. A surrealistic tone dominates, outcasting any external reality in the film and limiting the audience's perception to that of Eva. Kevin has all the ingredients for a psychological thriller, complete with so-good-that-it's-creepy child acting. Empty, demonic eyes in a toddler refusing to please his mother by uttering the word "mommy" and painfully manipulative dialogue nearly drive us to identify with Eva, even when her frustration slowly lends itself to habits of child abuse. This element makes the film stand out among others of its kind, as it tests the boundaries and terms of a mother's love.

However, We Need to Talk About Kevin lacks the depth and the script that could have pushed the film beyond just creepy. The non-linear story introduces Kevin's mysterious deed that eventually convinces everyone else of what Eva has always known. The pending question "what did Kevin do?" is the driving force for the audience. The entire film leads to this revelation, and frankly, it's pretty disappointing. For starters, it doesn't make any physical sense and whoever decided that this would be Kevin's final act of defiance against his mother sucks at building story. Compensation for the poor twist is rather absent, especially considering the graphic bloodbath that begins the film.

Though promising with its style and dazzling cinematography, We Need to Talk About Kevin is one dimensional and relies far too much on its insufficient story. Not surprisingly, Tilda Swinton's performance stands out as the most impressive element. As a psychological thriller, the film is better than some, but allows for only minimal insight into the struggles of the psycho's mother.