CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 5/22/09

Adult Film

By jenelle riley

The Girlfriend Experience

Brian Koppelman and David Levien

Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh made headlines when he chose to cast pornographic film star Sasha Grey in his low-budget drama about the experiences of a Manhattan call girl. Set in the days before the 2008 Presidential election, the film has an immediate, timely feel to it that might not bear up on future viewings, but works well as a time capsule of a society where everyone from stockbrokers to prostitutes are concerned about the future of the economy. Plot is about as thin as, well, a porno—detailing the daily life of Chelsea (Grey), a one-woman enterprise seeking to further her career in the digital age. She warily meets with a journalist, tries to improve her website, and risks falling for a new client. Not unlike his underrated 1999 flick The Limey, Soderbergh relies on editing to jump the story around, providing more tension to the straightforward story. Working from a loosely outlined script by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, Soderbergh relies on his cast of unknown actors to improvise the majority of their dialogue, and the result is as natural and sometimes awkward as one would expect. When Chelsea makes small talk with her clients, it can be as inane and perfunctory as any date. When her trainer boyfriend, Chris (Chris Santos), attempts to upsell his clients on purchasing more workout time, it comes across as a practiced sales pitch. It may not have the spark of scripted banter, but it has the ring of truth. The film also features a great cameo by film critic Glenn Kenny as a blogger who offers to help raise Chelsea's profile in exchange for a free sample. Such scenes are typical of the film's dark wit about modern media.

The Girlfriend Experience
Magnolia Pictures
Rated R; 77 min.

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Jenelle Riley is a journalist and playwright living in Los Angeles. She enjoys good food and bad horror movies.



The Girlfriend Experience courtesy Magnolia Pictures

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