The Girlfriend Experience (2009)

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 | Presidential Election | Call Girl | Economy | 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	...	Chris & Chelsea's Super
Ted Jessup	...	Chatty 'John'
Stuart Levine	...	Sporting Goods Store President
Marvin Stein	...	Sporting Goods Store Vice President
Dennis Shields	...	Dennis
Steve Klapper	...	Web Designer
Glenn Kenny	...	The Erotic Connoisseur
Ben Finkelstein	...	Accountant
Michael Sugar	...	'Sugar'
Caitlin Lyon	...	Tara
Daniel Algrant	...	Dan (as Dan Algrant)
Kenny Blunt	...	Ken
Smokey West	...	Club H Gym Owner
William Holt	...	Hype Gym Owner
Adam Awaiz Yaqub	...	Phone Store Salesman
Christina Nadeau	...	Chelsea's Girlfriend
Timothy Davis	...	Tim
Deborah Fineman Bozik	...	Yoga Client
Jenel Stevens	...	Female Trainer
Howard I. Josephs	...	Furniture Store Owner
Shakerleg	...	Street Drummer
Galya Vidal	...	Chelsea's Trainer
Erika Parys	...	Monte Verde Receptionist
Ken Myers	...	Craftsteak Maitre D' (as Kenneth Myers)
Elon Dershowitz	...	Jewelry Store Owner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brooke Aldrich	...	Diner Patron (uncredited)
George Aloi	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Quarles Antoine	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Danny Boushebel	...	Art Gallery Patron (uncredited)
Karen Collazzo	...	Gym Member (uncredited)
Timothy J. Cox	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Maria Diaz	...	Business Woman (uncredited)
Daniel Fainman	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Jeff Grossman	...	Stock Broker (uncredited)
Adelmo Guidarelli	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Edward M. Kelahan	...	Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Kimberly Magness	...	Happy Hour (uncredited)
Francis Maiorino	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Tala Marie	...	Party Goer (uncredited)
Tanda Mercer	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Ian Christopher Noel	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Christopher Peuler	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Clifford Rivera	...	Restaurant Patron #2 (uncredited)
Alyson Rogers	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Olu Rufen	...	Restaurant Guest / Bar Patron (uncredited)
Bridget Storm	...	Client (uncredited)
Emily Turner	...	Business Woman (uncredited)
Michelle Vannucchi	...	Fitness Club Member (uncredited)
Paul Weaver	...	Dining Patron (uncredited)
Eric Whitehead	...	Restaurant Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Steven Soderbergh

Writing credits (WGA)
David Levien		(written by) &
Brian Koppelman		(written by)

Produced by
Mark Cuban	....	executive producer
Gregory Jacobs	....	executive producer
Todd Wagner	....	producer

Original Music by
Ross Godfrey

Cinematography by
Steven Soderbergh		(as Peter Andrews)

Film Editing by
Steven Soderbergh

Casting by
Carmen Cuba

Art Direction by
Carlos Moore

Costume Design by
Christopher Peterson

Production Management
David Kirchner	....	post-production supervisor
Robin Le Chanu	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gregory Jacobs	....	first assistant director
Jody Spilkoman	....	second assistant director
Derek Wimble	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Richard Hebrank	....	construction coordinator
Francis Maiorino	....	leadman
Philip Markowitz	....	art department intern
Theo Sena	....	property master

Sound Department
David Betancourt	....	foley mixer
Larry Blake	....	sound re-recording mixer
Larry Blake	....	supervising sound editor
Matt Coby	....	sound editor
Dawn Fintor	....	foley artist
Thomas W. Jordan	....	boom operator
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist
Billy Theriot	....	assistant sound editor
Dennis Towns	....	production sound mixer

Visual Effects by
Nat Jencks	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Andrew B. Hansen	....	best boy electric
Steven Meizler	....	first assistant camera: 'a' camera
John Joseph Minardi	....	key grip: Las Vegas
William Newell	....	gaffer
Heather Norton	....	first assistant camera: 'b' camera (as Heather MacDonald Norton)
Jeff Pinette	....	assistant camera
Randy M. Salo	....	best boy grip
Mark Schmidt	....	b-camera operator
Jeremy Schroeder	....	key grip
Paul Toomey	....	additional second assistant camera
Alexis van Kersen Li	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Peter Walts	....	gaffer: Las Vegas

Casting Department
Alexander Barrow	....	background casting assistant
Melissa Braun	....	background casting associate
Grant Wilfley	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amy L. Teets	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Jason Barnes	....	first assistant editor
Corey Bayes	....	assistant editor
Ralph Costanza	....	digital intermediate producer
Nat Jencks	....	DI editor
Amy McGrath	....	apprentice editor
Tim Stipan	....	supervising digital film colorist
Michael P. Whipple	....	digital intermediate engineer
Lee Wimer	....	color timer
Benjamin Sutor	....	digital intermediate editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Woody Jackson	....	engineer
Woody Jackson	....	musician

Transportation Department
Shane Greedy	....	transportation coordinator
Jim Kelly	....	transportation captain
John Lalor	....	driver
Richard J. Marino	....	driver
Leslie Slaughter	....	driver: Las Vegas

Other crew
Joan Altman	....	production accountant
Cheryl Bohlin	....	craft service
Carol A. Compton	....	script clearance
Kimberly N. Fajen	....	production coordinator
Evan Gabriele	....	assistant location manager
Holly Kang	....	assistant: Mr. Soderbergh
Ken Lavet	....	location manager: Las Vegas
Brendan Lee	....	set production assistant
Francesca M. Mannix	....	production secretary
Ken Meyer	....	legal services
Elaine Mongeon	....	assistant: Mr. Jacobs
Christopher Ramirez	....	location scout: las vegas
John Sesumi	....	production assistant
Robert T. Striem	....	location manager
Adam Wolenski	....	assistant accountant
Johnson Colby Sheffield	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Fritz Chestnut	....	the producers wish to thank
Joe Prieboy	....	the producers wish to thank

Production Companies

• Magnolia Pictures (presents)
• 2929 Productions (in association with)
• Extension 765 (production)
• HDNet Films (uncredited)

Distributors

• Magnolia Pictures (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2009) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Revolver Entertainment (2009) (UK) (theatrical)
• Tohokushinsha Film (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Vertice Cine (2010) (Spain) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2009) (Thailand) (all media)
• Koch Media (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
• Magnolia Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2009) (France) (all media)
• Mongrel Media (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paris Filmes (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Pinema (2009) (Turkey) (all media) (distributor)
• Pony Canyon (2011) (Japan) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2010) (Portugal) (all media)

Other Companies

• David Dreishpoon's Gourmet Craft Service  catering (as David Dreishpoon's Gourmet Catering)
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Grant Wilfley Casting  extras casting
• IndieClear  script clearance
• Masterwords  cutting continuity
• Red Digital Cinema  camera equipment provided by
• Swelltone Labs  post-production sound services

Also Known As:

"GfE" - USA (festival title)
"Girlfriend Experience" - Japan (English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language

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 | Ireland:16 | UK:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:18 | Japan:PG12 | Netherlands:12 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Magnolia Pictures

Trivia:

"Girlfriend experience" is a form of sex work (paid-for female companionship) in which a female prostitute behaves like a male client's girlfriend or shows (artificial) emotional intimacy beyond the sex act.

Quotes:

Chelsea:[voice-over] On October 25th, I met with Dennis. We had lunch at Nobu and then went to a hotel room. During lunch, he talked about the financial crisis. When we got back to the hotel room, he immediately got on the phone and ordered some Macallan 25. I put on a Kiki de Montparnasse corset...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Brows Held High: Tromeo & Juliet (#2.6)" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Man in Back

a 21st century My Life to Live (?)

Although his aesthetic isn't quite as detached or suffused in jagged poetry, I wonder if Steven Soderbergh may have been, if subconsciously, channeling Jean-Luc Godard with his latest film The Girlfriend Experience, specifically a film like Godard's My Life to Live. There Godard dealt with a woman who has little money and so becomes a prostitute, seen in chapter segments and with a style that had a basis in a script but also in documentary intuition- meaning the actors could do what they wanted, even if the director had to stay true to some kind of form. With The Girlfriend Experience we get Soderbergh again working in his "minor" work form, under the radar of the box-office (Oceans') and controversy (Che). He casts a young porn actress (Sasha Grey) and non-professionals (the actor playing Chris, the personal trainer and boyfriend of Grey's character, is an actual personal trainer), and the film's non-scripted-but-scripted style, and editing taking cues from the Nouvelle Vague, is at the least never less than interesting.

If the film doesn't tell a story exactly, which will surely frustrate some but not be a surprise to anyone who saw Schizopolis or Full Frontal (for better and worse), it does convey time and place very well, of a city where the upper class on edge from horrid economy and we're told of the "companionship" of the call girl played by Grey like in journal entries or sound bytes. If there is any structure it's loosely based around a man sort of interviewing Grey at a restaurant, her demeanor calm but elusive, politely answering some questions and edging around others, and the action and dramatic tone wavers so much from documentary and fiction that it's impossible to separate it. But it's not really naturalism either, though it could be considered that. This is in another way why it's akin to a Godard film: it's highly stylized, maybe so much so that its intention is precisely to provoke in its choices in a distanced frame or a device obscuring faces or even faces out of focus in the foreground as they speak with the background at a bar in focus.

The Girlfriend Experience is also a surprising, if not show-stopping or breakthrough, showcase for Sasha Grey, who has a kind of dirty beauty which she can hide away with her natural sophistication. Though it's not part of the story, there was something that Soderbergh saw in Grey from her porn film experience (it's a similar thing as say casting a professor in Umberto D: he's not playing one, but you can sense the life experience on the face and in the body expressions, the spirit), and its hard to look away from her. Nor even for her personal trainer boyfriend. At worst, it's got some acting that is sub-par, like a rehearsal for a scene that still needs work before being shot but is filmed as a final workshop. But at best we see this torn and bewildering couple who are close but have that block of her "job" sleeping with other men- and the character's proclivity to look for a birthday as a sign of a connection- as something captivating. Even the city, as filmed by Soderbergh as a place with looming buildings and street musicians surrounding the well-to-do, is a character to speak of.

But, as with Soderbergh's other "experiments", saying it's not for everyone is an understatement to end all others. It's so polarizing you can feel the icicles forming from the breath in the theater. Maybe it was wise on his part to make this available on-demand from IFC, as it is an absolutely wonderful thing to experience as a rental though not really a "full-price" affair as it turned out to be at the Clearview Chelsea in Manhattan. Some will flat out hate its consistent choice in camera-work or its strong performances, while others may like it immensely for its sense of truth and human nature. For me, it's provocative just enough to do for 78 minutes starring a woman who is given an opportunity to do something not sans clothes and legs raised. She takes a hold and makes it interesting on a level I didn't expect: the subdued. If Bresson were alive he might find a use for her.