VoML Postfilm Report: The Girlfriend Experience (2009)

TOP BILLED ACTORS
Sasha Grey, Chris Santos

DIRECTOR
Steven Soderbergh

3 POSITIVES

• I really liked how the film was shot. Soderbergh is particular about the lenses he uses to give you a certain feeling while watching a scene. There isn’t really a single story line so the fact that the film is shown out of sequence lends well to the documentary feel.
  
• The film really feels like a documentary even though the people in the film are acting. I think The Girlfriend Experience succeeds as a mockumentary where Full Frontal didn’t (even though I’m a big fan of Full Frontal) because it lacks big name actors. The relationship between Sasha and her boyfriend is very interesting and part of the movie is devoted to Chris and his struggles with having a girlfriend in her line of work. He is remarkably supportive when she talks about “work problems”; he of course has his own in a similar yet completely different job, as a personal trainer. It's interesting to see those experiences juxtaposed. How can a relationship like this work when she is paid to feign intimacy with other men, then she has to come home and show real intimacy in a committed relationship?
• The subject matter was one that hasn’t really been delved into yet. The “girlfriend experience” is the reason a person would seek out an escort as opposed to a prostitute. It isn’t all about sex, sometimes the “client” is looking for somebody to talk to and have a feeling of companionship with. The film shows Grey’s struggles with increasing her client base as well as maintaining it. How does a “sophisticated escort” get her name out there and how can she trust the men she has hired to market her when they aren’t always after monetary compensation?

3 NEGATIVES

• While the subject matter is interesting, I can’t really say the same about the subject. The only insight we get into why she started doing what she does is that she didn’t want to rely on her parents for support.
• Even though it goes well with the film, the scenes where she negotiates with men who seem a little too willing to help her further her business feel so dirty. Everything about her home life and even a lot of her scenes relating to clients are pretty clean and tidy so it’s tough watching her deal with the leaches and predatorial figures. It’s easy to say, hire an agent or a manager but even that is a tricky proposition when faced with a fluctuating income and a budget that includes expensive clothes and accessories.
• If you're looking for a film with a solid story line, you shouldn't rent this. Stuff happens but nothing is really resolved in the end. You're left with a glimpse of an interesting life and an interesting set of circumstances but really nothing more.
  

BEST PERFORMANCE
It’s tough to give this to any of the actors as it’s really just Grey and Santos surrounded by bit players. I’m going to give this one to Soderbergh for the masterful weaving of conversations and silent everyday moments into an interesting film.

MOST UNDERRATED PERFORMANCE
I would have to say Sasha Grey. Although I did not find her character (or perhaps her) to be particularly interesting, I thought she played the part she was given pretty well.

HEY, IT'S THAT GUY...
There were no recognizable actors although some people may recognize Sasha Grey from previous... [cough] ahem… films.

WOULD I PURCHASE IT? No

WOULD I WATCH IT IF I CAME ACROSS IT ON CABLE? Maybe

I WILL GIVE…
-PSon