Shopgirl
Mirabelle (Claire Danes) mans the glove counter at a high end department store in Beverly Hills, selling things that nobody buys anymore. An artist struggling to keep up with even the minimum payment on her credit card and student loans, she lives a quiet life and keeps to herself until a rich, handsome fiftysomething named Ray Porter (Steve Martin) sweeps her off her feet. Mirabelle revels in the attention, the sex, and especially, being in love, but somewhere, subconsciously, she realizes that the relationship cannot last. Soon, she has to make a decision: will she stick with Ray, hoping that his feelings for her might grow, or does she take a chance with Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), a musician who may offer more?
Member Reviews
Slow...motion - Ilsa
It was very boring. The storyline was going at a very slow pace. Steve Martin tried the best to keep the action going on the fun part, but did not succeed.
This entire love triangle storyline was neurotic and not credible. We have to say it was a happy ending but do not lose your time watching it if you have some other things to do.A captivating gem. - Nikki
An affecting story of three diverse souls drifting in and out of a romantic triangle.
In the performance of her career, Claire Danes is Shopgirl's center,it is easily the best role Danes has had since she broke out a decade ago on TV's My So-Called Life.Wow - Ubik
That was fantastic. I'm not generally a lover of romance movies, simply because they're usually unimaginative, overdramatic, cliched, and predictable. But for those who are looking for an original, thoughtful, and very realistic movie about flawed but very recognizable characters, then do yourself an enormous favour, and save an evening for this one.
Claire Danes and Steve Martin are really superb. They can communicate levels of emotion with nothing more than a silent glance. They can communicate pain and confusion and hope, all without indicating or shouting or pleading, but just by being real and honest.
The plot doesn't go where you might expect. The surprises come, but they are not the Hollywood cookie-cutter surprises of a million romance movies; they come from the characters, and while they may not be satisfying to a viewer who has been raised on perfect, neat little endings, they are completely believable.
At the centre of this film is a beautiful, strong, completely realized female character, played absolutely flawlessly by Danes, who is easily the wisest, most mature person in the movie. She is pursued by two men who, though good-hearted, are not capable of making her happy (or even, really, being happy themselves.) This is not a movie about how the girl gets the guy, but about how a young woman enters the adult world and learns what it is that will make her happy, independently. Martin's performance is a revelation - a subtle, sad, conflicted middle-aged man, trying to do good, but hampered by his own fears. The two of them together create something that is really quite remarkable.
This is not a comedy, but nor is it a treacly tear-jerker. It is a smart, moving, bittersweet tale of love among grown-ups (as opposed to the overgrown teenagers in most movie romances), and whatever else happens, we leave the movie feeling pretty sure that the Danes character is going to be just fine.
Member Reviews
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Slow...motion - Ilsa
It was very boring. The storyline was going at a very slow pace. Steve Martin tried the best to keep the action going on the fun part, but did not succeed.
This entire love triangle storyline was neurotic and not credible. We have to say it was a happy ...A captivating gem. - Nikki
An affecting story of three diverse souls drifting in and out of a romantic triangle.
In the performance of her career, Claire Danes is Shopgirl's center,it is easily the best role Danes has had since she broke out a decade ago on TV's My So-Called Life.Wow - Ubik
That was fantastic. I'm not generally a lover of romance movies, simply because they're usually unimaginative, overdramatic, cliched, and predictable. But for those who are looking for an original, thoughtful, and very realistic movie about flawed but very ...