The Girlfriend Experience (2009)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writers (WGA):

David Levien (written by) &
Brian Koppelman (written by)

Release Date:

8 July 2009 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

See it with someone you ****

Plot:

A drama set in the days leading up to the 2008 Presidential election, and centered on a high-end Manhattan call girl meeting the challenges of her boyfriend, her clients, and her work.

Plot Keywords:

Client | Manhattan | Call Girl | Presidential Election | Personal Trainer

Cast

Sasha Grey	...	Chelsea / Christine
Chris Santos	...	Chris
Philip Eytan	...	Phillip
T. Colby Trane	...	Waiter
Peter Zizzo	...	Zizzo
Ron Stein	...	Vegas Buddy #1
Marshall Gilman	...	Vegas Buddy #2
Michael Roberts	...	Vegas Buddy #3
Vincent Dellacera	...	Chelsea's Driver
Jim Kempner	...	Art Gallery Owner
David Levien	...	David
Mark Jacobson	...	Interviewer
Alan Milstein	...	Pete
Sukhdev Singh	...	Super
Ted Jessup	...	Chatty 'John'

Also Known As:

GfE (USA) (festival title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language. (also VOD edition)

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

2929 Productions

Trivia:

Steven Soderbergh first heard about Sasha Grey when he read an article in Los Angeles magazine about her.

Quotes:

Chelsea: I met with Phillipe on October 5th and 6th. I wore a Michael Kors dress and shoes with La Perla... I wore a Michael Kors dress and shoes with La Perla lingerie underneath. And diamond stud earrings. We met at 730 at the hotel, and had a drink downstairs...

Movie Connections:

References The Opening of Misty Beethoven (1976)

Soundtrack:

Hot Tub

good

One of the first things that is always talked about concerning the movie is the casting of hardcore porn actress as the main protagonist. For the most part I think Sasha Grey made a good cinematic debut in 'The Girlfriend Experience' whereby she plays an escort of sorts, in a backdrop of the recession and the presidential candidacy. Soderbergh seems to be an eclectic film maker in the sense that he genuinely is trying to make interesting films, with the likes of the remake of Tarkovsky's Solaris, his epic biopic of Che Geuvera and Erin Brockovich. He has delved into the mainstream with the likes of Ocean's Eleven and it's sequel.

One of the facets which made 'The Girlfriend Experience' engaging was the manner in which it was filmed. The contemporary aesthetic and similarities to French New Wave, makes the film visually absorbing. In my mind attention to sensual lighting and framing is very reminiscent to the likes of Wong Kar Wai in exploring isolation and sensuality.

The performance from Sasha Grey as 'Chelsea' is understated and fits well with the nature of the film. There is no doubt that she is a beautiful woman, and I feel she has a level of competency that is promising for someone her age. She has a subtle delivery and a genuinity that is, even to my cynical eyes, quite surprising to see coming from someone from her background. Likewise the rest of the cast hold up to support the film adequately.

The main problem the film suffers from is the lack of an interesting script. I heard that Soderbergh only worked with a brief outline of a script, and crystallised a dialogue on the day of filming with input from cast and crew. This improvisational method might work for the likes of Wong Kar Wai, at times, but I am uncertain whether it has worked for Soderbergh. The dialogue seems to heavily centre around the economic recession. Naturally this serves to highlight the hypocrisy of the clients that Chelsea meets, as they pay thousands for a night with the protagonist and yet are anxious about their wealth and business. Mostly the discussions on economic wealth becomes a kind of rhetoric. It isn't intellectually illuminating or engaging in the the slightest. Adding to that, because it takes up so much screen time the characterisation of the protagonist, her boyfriend, and her clients suffer due to the flat lines that they are given.

A film of this calibre has most of the elements in the right place. From the cosmopolitan settings, the intimate cinematography and even the casting of Sasha Grey (despite general criticism). These elements function cohesively. Notably I believe the script needs a bit of work, and could even do with some rewrites from the likes of Richard Linklater or Woody Allen.

Overall an admirable 7/10