Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience is trying to be political and existential (he tries to channel Godard and Antonioni) but neither theme is really fully realized. The upcoming recession is supposed to put a couple (Chelsea, an escort, and Chris, a physical trainer) into some sort of existential crisis and force them into re-evaluating their jobs and way of life, but the film goes nowhere with this. All they do is try to make more money by doing what they already do (wow, he's looking to train at other pricier gyms, she wants to have a website to reach more customers, but needs to be reviewed). She already makes $2000 an hour and they live in an upscale Manhattan apartment, should we care if they feel the need for more? This isn't exactly Wendy & Lucy, a powerful film with a similar theme.
As for Soderbergh casting non-professional actors, Sasha Grey did alright, but Chris Santos was absolutely horrible. He pretty much chainsawed the film up for me. I hated both characters. Chris was an extremely unlikable doosh bag, and after a certain point, I just wanted to reach into the screen and punch him.
Chelsea was unlikable as well, but I only felt indifference towards her. She claims (in an interview) that she shields her real self from her clients. But really, she has nothing underneath to hide to begin with. She's a bore, no personality to speak of, why would anyone want to pay $2000 dollars an hour to hang out and talk to her (besides the sex) when all she does is sit there and vaguely answer your questions? In the end, the characters don't change or develop. The only hint at character development, is when Chelsea feels something towards a client, and when she throws a monkey wrench into her relationship, its a terrible decision with the result we see coming miles away (except for her, because she's a moron). Chelsea comes off as a dumb, naive girl who became somewhat wealthy from selling her body because she is pretty. I guess the only thing I liked about these people is watching them fall apart, we're supposed to care, but I was laughing.
Then, there's the political angle the film tries to flirt with. The political dialogue that plagues the film is pretty much the same as any gossip you can hear on the street from people who don't know anything about politics. Rich people in a private jet to Vegas bet on who will win the election and Chelsea's clients talk about their money problems and give their awful suggestions to her on how to invest her money. There is no real political insight here.
Everything technical about the film was amazing. The cinematography was beautiful, the editing and pacing was tight and breezy, and I liked the soundtrack (the street drummer is fantastic). Soderbergh is certainly a competent director (and a stylish one at that). But, like Tarentino, Soderbergh pays too much homage to the films and filmmakers that inspire him. Here he stated Godard and Antonioni's The Red Desert are influences (the bright colors and long, wide shots in The Girlfriend Experience are pretty much taken directly from The Red Desert). Obviously, he's not reaching their level, not with The Girlfriend Experience anyway.
There's always something that always kills Soderbergh's films for me, and for The Girlfriend Experience, it was the characters.
As for Soderbergh casting non-professional actors, Sasha Grey did alright, but Chris Santos was absolutely horrible. He pretty much chainsawed the film up for me. I hated both characters. Chris was an extremely unlikable doosh bag, and after a certain point, I just wanted to reach into the screen and punch him.
Chelsea was unlikable as well, but I only felt indifference towards her. She claims (in an interview) that she shields her real self from her clients. But really, she has nothing underneath to hide to begin with. She's a bore, no personality to speak of, why would anyone want to pay $2000 dollars an hour to hang out and talk to her (besides the sex) when all she does is sit there and vaguely answer your questions? In the end, the characters don't change or develop. The only hint at character development, is when Chelsea feels something towards a client, and when she throws a monkey wrench into her relationship, its a terrible decision with the result we see coming miles away (except for her, because she's a moron). Chelsea comes off as a dumb, naive girl who became somewhat wealthy from selling her body because she is pretty. I guess the only thing I liked about these people is watching them fall apart, we're supposed to care, but I was laughing.
Then, there's the political angle the film tries to flirt with. The political dialogue that plagues the film is pretty much the same as any gossip you can hear on the street from people who don't know anything about politics. Rich people in a private jet to Vegas bet on who will win the election and Chelsea's clients talk about their money problems and give their awful suggestions to her on how to invest her money. There is no real political insight here.
Everything technical about the film was amazing. The cinematography was beautiful, the editing and pacing was tight and breezy, and I liked the soundtrack (the street drummer is fantastic). Soderbergh is certainly a competent director (and a stylish one at that). But, like Tarentino, Soderbergh pays too much homage to the films and filmmakers that inspire him. Here he stated Godard and Antonioni's The Red Desert are influences (the bright colors and long, wide shots in The Girlfriend Experience are pretty much taken directly from The Red Desert). Obviously, he's not reaching their level, not with The Girlfriend Experience anyway.
There's always something that always kills Soderbergh's films for me, and for The Girlfriend Experience, it was the characters.
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