Film Reviews

The Girlfriend Experience

• Rating:
• Director: Steven Soderbergh
• Starring:
• Details: US/77mins 16

With The Informant released just a few weeks ago, Steven Soderbergh has shown in the space of a month that his talent is as eclectic as it is consistent, when other directors spend entire careers trying to do just that. One of the most interesting helmers working in modern cinema, his films may not always work, but the man certainly has balls and is willing to try new, often wildly uncommercial things. This production showcases his experimental side, and stars a porn star and a complete unknown in its two lead roles. Once again looking to subvert the audience's expectations and challenge them accordingly, anyone who pays to see this for a mainstream perv will be sorely disappointed at the lack of skin friction.
The film's title is based around a service that high class call girls provide in Manhattan. For a serious amount of clams, these well-educated and beautiful women will essentially provide the services of a missus - without the moaning about not putting the bins out. Sasha Grey plays such a character, a woman who manages to do this financially rewarding, but often emotionally taxing job, whilst maintaining a relationship with an understanding boyfriend.
Soderbergh really wants us, his audience, to feel like a fly on the wall. He executes with a mostly static camera, while the actor's performances feel slightly improvised at points, as he allows them fumble lines and miss traditional cues. You often feel like you're intruding on a private conversation that you shouldn't be, which was clearly the point.
While there isn't a lot here in terms of plot, what is there is jumbled up and unfolded out of sequence; again, it's up to the audience to decipher what order it should play out. This may sound confusing, but if you stay with it, it's genuinely rewarding. At the core of the film is Grey's ambitious escort, who treats her body like a business, ready to be floated on the stock market. She's marvellous, showing subtle cracks in her ice cold exterior and giving a performance that proves she has straight acting chops.
With its subdued direction and offbeat sensibility, The Girlfriend Experience may not address the complex emotions of its lead character enough for some, but this is still interesting, wonderfully acted and executed stuff.

Review by Mike Sheridan