The Girlfriend Experience (2009)

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.

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writers:

David Levien, Brian Koppelman

Stars:

Sasha Grey, Chris Santos, Philip Eytan

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sasha Grey	...	Chelsea / Christine
Chris Santos	...	Chris
Philip Eytan	...	Phillip
Colby Trane	...	Waiter (as T. Colby Trane)
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'

Storyline

Chelsea (Sasha Grey) is a high-priced $2,000-an-hour call girl in Manhattan, offering a 'girlfriend experience': she'll dress with the client in mind, go to dinner and a movie, listen attentively to talk about work and finances, and she'll provide sex. It's October, 2008: a presidential election nears and the economy is in free fall. She has a boyfriend, Chris (Chris Santos), who's a personal trainer. We are shown five non-consecutive days in Chelsea's life. She's working on her Web page, talking to image consultants, and being interviewed by a reporter. She asks clients when their birthdays are and uses that for an astrological prediction. She's drawn to a new client, a writer from L.A. Should she break her rules for him? What if it risks her relationship with Chris? Should she invest in gold?

---

Plot Keywords:

presidential election | female nudity | reference to barack obama | call girl | las vegas nevada | 

---

Taglines:

See it with someone you ****

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

8 July 2009 (France)

Also Known As:

GfE

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,700,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$162,965, 24 May 2009

Gross USA:

$695,840

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,007,962

Company Credits

Production Co:

Magnolia Pictures, 2929 Productions, Extension 765

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

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

Interviewer: What I'm trying to build up to here is to see the role this guy plays in your life. Not necessarily your relationship between you... I'm not intrested in the intimate details between these two people... you and your boyfriend. I'm intrested in the kind of relationship somebody in your business would have with someone they actually love.
Chelsea: You'll have to ask him on that.

---

Crazy Credits

After the end credits, there's a brief scene of Chelsea washing a client's hair as he sits in a bathtub and talks about John McCain.

---

Connections

References The Opening of Misty Beethoven (1976)

---

Soundtracks

Rubber Ring
Written and Produced by David Holmes
Courtesy of Universal Songs of Polygram International Inc.

User Reviews

Satisfying.

Was it a masterpiece? No. Was it quality Soderbergh? Yes-but that's not saying much (Full Frontal, anyone?). It made me think of Annie Hall and Chasing Amy. Annie Hall for its non-linear-yet-still-very-easy-to-follow narrative style (think of a toned down Limey). Chasing Amy because...well, because Kevin Smith used to always say that he tried to dispel misconceptions about relationships and sexuality with that 'film.' Whether or not he succeeded, I 'dunno'-but Soderbergh certainly has a lot more to say and does so rather proficiently with this movie. The running time for this think-piece is a blessed 77 minutes and strangely enough I could not pause the cable box and step away (even though I needed a cigarette since BEFORE the movie began). That's saying something. Decent date flick? I'd say so--but only if you're with someone cerebral or a whore. Enjoy.