The Girlfriend Experience
2009 Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Synopsis
See it with someone you ****
Set in the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election, The Girlfriend Experience is five days in the life of Chelsea, an ultra high-end Manhattan call girl who offers not just sex to her clients, but companionship and conversation – “the girlfriend experience.” Chelsea thinks she has her life totally under control—she feels her future is secure because she runs her own business her own way, makes $2000 an hour, and has a devoted boyfriend who accepts her lifestyle. But when you're in the business of meeting people, you never know who you're going to meet...
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Part 2 of the 30 Countries project.
For the purposes of this project this movie is classed as at least partially being of American origin as per its listing on imdb.
The thing that really bugs me about the general response to this film is that it is entirely ludicrous. Just because Sasha Grey happily makes pornography why should you expect to see her fucking people in a low budget, almost mumblecore in its aims, Steven Soderbergh movie? Sure you can blame the marketing and distribution team for raising expectations that could never be met but me theory is that if you want pornography head to the pornography section of the video store not the new releases.
That complaint aside…
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Currently watching some films I've either bought, rented, or had on my computer for a while and never watched them, The fourth one: The Girlfriend Experience.
I remember watching this January 2012 for a film class study on relatively, short, inexperience films, but fell asleep half an hour into it, and here I am watching it again. Being a fan of Steven Soderbergh, this came up, and Sasha Grey is in it, who, unfortunately, I remember from my high school days and watching her on my monitor, that's all I will say (no, I am not a pervert.)
This film features A LOT OF STILL SHOTS & ESTABLISHING SHOTS. Sometimes to the point where it becomes boring and tiring to watch.…
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The Girlfriend Experience has some interesting ideas, is well shot, and is - surprisingly - well acted. Unfortunately, it feels somewhat incomplete, as it touches on political themes but doesn't explore them in any depth, and draws comparisons between various professions (escorts, gym trainers, businessmen, etc) without making any real comment on those comparisons. The film is much like the main character herself, in that it seems as though there's a lot underneath the surface, and yet the iron doors never really open up. This film seems to lack a concrete thesis as to what it really wants to say. Which isn't always a bad thing, but in this particular case the result is somewhat unsatisfying. However, it is far from being a bad film, and certainly is not "Soderbergh's worst film" as some people may have you believe.
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The Girlfriend Experience follows the story of a high end escort and her boyfriend in the weeks preceding the 2008 election. There are a few focuses of this film, however, everything revolves around one thing - money. Sasha Gray takes the lead in what is obviously a very natural role for her as someone very comfortable with many aspects of the sex industry.
This is a very conversational film giving glimpses into the characters lives, but never much depth. A crystalline image is created as aspects of the character's lives are explored in a non-linear style. This film uses documentary style shots and texture, which is supported by Sasha Gray's natural acting style. The film often feels like it is…
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Former porn star Sasha Grey in a film directed by Steven Soderbergh? That shouldn’t work, but it totally does and her performance is quite remarkable if I’m being completely honest. Sure, the screenplay isn’t perfect and not a whole lot happens, but it’s certainly an interesting feat from Soderbergh that flows well and there’s a lot of honesty in the picture. Good time killer.
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[para una nota:
me llamó la atención encontrar varios textos que hablan de "diálogo realista" en esta película. tal vez se deba a
diálogo interrumpido: constantemente (no siempre) los personajes no parecen dispuestos a terminar de escucharse;
diálogo distraído: las conversaciones de pronto parecen cambiar de destino;
diálogo inconcluso / diálogo que no escala: normalmente el diálogo en una escena va en "ascenso" –hacia una revelación o la creación de un suspenso o un chiste o un revés ingenioso– así sea en un intercambio de dos frases, acá, al parecer, no.revisar si no estoy diciendo una pendejada.]
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Interesting if also (possibly) unnecessarily elliptical.
Well performed, directed and shot with at least a couple of quietly powerful scenes. The whole of it, however, remains elusive, either lending itself to mystery and provocation or otherwise frustration and a shrug.
My first impression tends to lean towards the former, the artfulness compensating for its (possibly) unfocused intention. -
The Girlfriend Experience follows the story of a high end escort and her boyfriend in the weeks preceding the 2008 election. There are a few focuses of this film, however, everything revolves around one thing - money. Sasha Gray takes the lead in what is obviously a very natural role for her as someone very comfortable with many aspects of the sex industry.
This is a very conversational film giving glimpses into the characters lives, but never much depth. A crystalline image is created as aspects of the character's lives are explored in a non-linear style. This film uses documentary style shots and texture, which is supported by Sasha Gray's natural acting style. The film often feels like it is…
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[para una nota:
me llamó la atención encontrar varios textos que hablan de "diálogo realista" en esta película. tal vez se deba a
diálogo interrumpido: constantemente (no siempre) los personajes no parecen dispuestos a terminar de escucharse;
diálogo distraído: las conversaciones de pronto parecen cambiar de destino;
diálogo inconcluso / diálogo que no escala: normalmente el diálogo en una escena va en "ascenso" –hacia una revelación o la creación de un suspenso o un chiste o un revés ingenioso– así sea en un intercambio de dos frases, acá, al parecer, no.revisar si no estoy diciendo una pendejada.]
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i don't know what this is trying to achieve and you don't really care
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Part 2 of the 30 Countries project.
For the purposes of this project this movie is classed as at least partially being of American origin as per its listing on imdb.
The thing that really bugs me about the general response to this film is that it is entirely ludicrous. Just because Sasha Grey happily makes pornography why should you expect to see her fucking people in a low budget, almost mumblecore in its aims, Steven Soderbergh movie? Sure you can blame the marketing and distribution team for raising expectations that could never be met but me theory is that if you want pornography head to the pornography section of the video store not the new releases.
That complaint aside…
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cool
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(Reposted from Soderbergh review series)
In 2005, Steven Soderbergh created a six-picture deal with Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner. Each of the films made for this deal were to have been shot on high-definition video, and released simultaneously in theaters, on DVD, and television. Obviously, the deal fell through after this film in 2009, only two films in. But it did produce two of the oddest, and most intriguing, films in Soderbergh’s canon; Bubble and The Girlfriend Experience. The latter is an oddity all the way; starring a porn star, featuring very little actual sex, for a movie about an escort, and set during the Presidential election of 2008. It has more on its mind than nudity and titillation. In…
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Currently watching some films I've either bought, rented, or had on my computer for a while and never watched them, The fourth one: The Girlfriend Experience.
I remember watching this January 2012 for a film class study on relatively, short, inexperience films, but fell asleep half an hour into it, and here I am watching it again. Being a fan of Steven Soderbergh, this came up, and Sasha Grey is in it, who, unfortunately, I remember from my high school days and watching her on my monitor, that's all I will say (no, I am not a pervert.)
This film features A LOT OF STILL SHOTS & ESTABLISHING SHOTS. Sometimes to the point where it becomes boring and tiring to watch.…
-
I'd say it's interesting, but I would be lying. Soderbergh entrenches the audience in the mundane, run-of-the-mill life of a high class escort and we follow it every step of the way. Sasha Grey's performance was a little stiff, to say the least.