Lena Dunham's Asymmetrical Relationships

Lena Dunham and the asymmetrical relationships. Dunham, who brought a deep insight into couple dynamics in the thought-provoking HBO series Girls, is directing her biggest film to date, Good Sex, starring Natalie Portman.

Synopsis:

A 40-something couples therapist (Portman) ventures back into the world of dating in New York. Between two very different romances - a young hipster and a successful fifty-something - she must discover what she really wants in love.

Dunham is adept at managing complex relationships. One of the standout moments in Girls is when Adam Driver and Jemima Kirke (Jessa) are dying to sleep together but out of respect for Lena Dunham’s character (one of the protagonists of the show) they just furiously masturbate together.

The show was also great at navigating the quiet moments of despair that happen in off-again-on-again relationships. (Driver + Dunham clip).

Dunham’s last turn as a feature director was Sharp Stick (2018), which was a misguided fairy tale. But given her talent, she may turn to Natalie Portman, who is adept at giving high stylization performances (May December and Black Swan) toward nuance and restraint—as in Closer (2004).