Luckily, the strikingly good performance from Sasha Grey, who here makes the jump from the world of pornography to feature films. She's not exactly Meryl Streep quite yet, but her restrained performance is something to be impressed by. This is a generic character moulded to be complicated by writers David Levien and Brian Koppelman, and Grey handles it just about right. A couple of scenes particular come to mind - one of which is when she is stood up after agreeing to spend the weekend with a new client, the other is when she and her boyfriend are having a spat - really shows off the fact that Grey has the ability to do well as a mainstream, feature film actress.
One of the most worthwhile aspects of The Girlfriend Experience is how it explores the idea of voyeurism. And not in a leering, sexual sense - in fact, there's little-to-no titillation to be found here, out with a few brief glimpses of Grey naked and scantily clad as she goes to and from bed, which is never treated in a sexual way as such. But rather in that we get to look through a sort of peep-hole at the intimate life of another person, one that we may see crossing the busy streets of New York and would normally be none the wiser as what their story might be and if it's interesting or not. Even if the way it is technically portrayed on-screen is intriguing, I honestly don't think Chelsea's story warrants an entire movie, even if it only lasts surprisingly short 78 minutes.
There's a certain distance and coldness to The Girlfriend Experience, one that doesn't allow the viewer to invest themselves, emotionally or otherwise, in the story or the life and hardships of this high-class escort girl. It constantly feels like we are being kept roped off from what is actually happening, only allowed to peer over the edge as opposed to being able to fully dive in. Grey's genuine, believable performance, as well as Soderbergh's eye for what makes an interesting camera angle, keep the film watchable, but nonetheless it's far from enjoyable.
Article comments
1 - Bryan
The things you disliked about the film were exactly some of the things I loved. I had the feeling of some of Godard's earlier work, right down to the discussion of politics & current events.
Though I can't fault you for not appreciating the distanced tone. It's certainly not for everyone. I am glad though that unlike some reviewers you managed to distinguish between a deliberately flat performance and unintentionally flat acting when discussing Sasha Grey's role!
2 - Ross Miller
@Bryan,
Thanks for your comments. You're right, it's definitely not a movie for everyone, and I've often found that things some people point out as weaknesses in a certain movie actually are things I like. It's all subjective. I appreciated the subjects that made up the conversations in TGE, but just the way they were presented just didn't click with me for whatever reason.
And yes, Grey's performance was definitely controlled and entirely on purpose i.e. not as a result of bad acting.
Thanks again for the comments, bud. Feel free to check out my other reviews from the festival!
3 - curieux
Movies often portray sex-workers, but their customers remain well hidden ? faceless and nameless. "As a filmmaker, I simply wanted to reveal what is hidden - the john". So says Pietrobruno ? the director of GFE: GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE. An entertaining peek into the world of prostitution from the client?s point of view, Pietrobruno?s GFE: GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE follows a man obsessed with prostitutes who discovers that love is a lot more expensive than sex.