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Girlfriend Experience, The (2009)
Soderburgh’s version of mumblecore…sort of.
Rated R | Review date: 9-Oct-2009
Steven Soderburgh, well known for his dabbling in the indie world between big budget Hollywood pieces, delivers a slice of life that is The Girlfriend Experience. The film stars Sasha Grey, award-winning adult film starlet, as Chelsea, an upscale New York City escort. Right away, upon hearing that the film’s star is of the adult industry, it is to be expected that many will stray away from this film. This however, is a big mistake in the case of The Girlfriend Experience. Though it is often the case that adult film stars who try to break through to the mainstream often fail (even the ridiculously successful Jenna Jameson has tried), occasionally they do end up being good enough for small independents and cameos (i.e. Traci Lords). However, we seldom envision an actress of the erotic nature that actually has natural talent as good enough to be a star. Sasha Grey surprises, as her performance deserves a tremendous amount of credit.
Shot on a very low budget and on a digital camera, the film’s style is much of what one would expect. One of the most noteworthy aspects of this film is the cinematography. Just about every frame of this picture would make a stunning still photograph that could proudly be displayed in say, a posh Manhattan apartment, such as those depicted in the film. Complimenting the scenery perfectly is the soundtrack, made up of some great instrumentals including some by a few excellent street performers. In regards to the acting, this film fared surprisingly well. In addition to Grey, the majority of the cast is made up of unknowns and non-actors. The seemingly partially improvised dialog comes off as very natural and believable. In fact, the entire tone of the film brings a dose of reality little seen these days outside of the indie culture.
The story in The Girlfriend Experience takes place during the 2008 presidential campaigns and in the heat of the economic downturn; something we all know too well. Our focus is on Chelsea and her everyday dealings with her career as well as her relationship with her unusually understanding boyfriend Chris (Chris Santos). The couple independently seeks ways to make their lives better during the rough economic climate; Chelsea strives to expand her business while preserving her anonymity, while Chris seeks to expand his horizons as a personal trainer. In addition, we get a good taste of what Chelsea’s rich Johns are dealing with as they therapeutically vent their financial frustrations during their dates.
Chelsea’s aspirations gradually make her vulnerable emotionally, causing her to get screwed over (figuratively and literally) by a scumbag sex connoisseur as well as getting her heart slightly broken. Towards the end of the film I really began to feel for Chelsea, completely ignoring her profession and seeing her just as the person she is. I believe that this is what the main goal of the character was; for her to seek love, a full and complete life, and for someone to want her as she is.
The main thing viewers will possibly have a problem with is the film’s time line. The scenes are in a fairly random sequence, which could get confusing at first but it becomes clear what is going on fairly quickly. To me this is one of the film’s strong points, it keeps the viewer on top of things and allows us to put the pieces together as opposed to just saying “here’s the story, this is what happens.”
Soderburgh delivers with this film. It accurately portrays real lives during a relatable situation. The relationship scenes are authentic, as are the emotions expressed by our characters. The Girlfriend Experience presents how we react to criticism, how we all search for something to make us complete, and in the end the stress that this all causes us. This film is a gorgeously shot, well acted, and a finely executed piece of introspective cinema. On a final note, I really hope that Ms. Grey continues to pursue more mainstream roles. With a little more experience, there’s no reason she could not be a noteworthy actress.
Rating: 7 out of 7
