The Girlfriend Experience
See it with someone you ****.
In the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election, we experience five days in the life of Chelsea, an ultra high-end Manhattan call girl who offers more than 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...
Member Reviews
Strong visuals aren't enough - ploox
Visually engrossing, but emotionally vacant. The film has strong moments (often conveyed through Soderbergh's distinct vision), but no real emotion is established with our leads. This film does, however, show definite promise for Sasha Grey's acting career outside of the "porn-world." Not a bad film, but just shy of being recommendable.Excellent - nw_kiff
"The Girlfriend Experience" is an experimental films that rarely uses more than one shot in a scene, featuring improvised dialogue. If that sounds like a film you want to avoid, then you probably should. It isn't paced like the average Hollywood film. It follows Christine/Chelsea, an upscale call-girl who offers a "girlfriend experience", meaning she will go to dinner, talk, go to movies, have sex. Do everything you might do on a normal night out with a girlfriend, except you are paying her, so it's totally artificial. Sasha Grey plays the character well, keeping the audience at a distance, and Soderbergh stays away from using many close-ups to keep us at arms length as well, since Christine is so closed up about who she is. Fans of "Bubble" will enjoy this effort, or anyone interested in seeing something a little different.What part of the business model don't you get? - anglophonequebec
Soderbergh gets this right. The other reviewers want some kind of heart-of-gold ending. No. Sasha Grey is perfect for a tough cookie who can look right through the camera in her huge shades. She plays a woman selling a girlfriend experience. She has her own boyfriend, but by the end it seems that he is just another trick. He makes her feel comfortable, and he doesn't pay, but the distance is the same. During the film, he is seen going off with a bunch of guys from the gym to Vegas. He fits right in with the other johns. This is a provocative movie. Chelsea the escort has a complete operation, accountant, investment advisors, web site design, strategies to improve her web scores. Yet, she is still vulnerable, and the movie is a set of scenes pieced together as her little schemes fall apart. Some one succeeds in cracking her defenses, then walking away. This could be the heart of gold scene, but it isn't. She pulls herself together and moves on the the next customer. She is in a squirrel cage, measured against the other thinner taller escort vying for top billing and top rates. She is not the drug-crazed hooker or the dependent victim of a pimp. But she has nothing else in mind. She is good at acting the role. She gets rewarded, so she does it. Soderbergh leaves us there. Three stars, yes, I liked it. It left much unsaid, and flipped around a bit.
Member Reviews
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Strong visuals aren't enough - ploox
Visually engrossing, but emotionally vacant. The film has strong moments (often conveyed through Soderbergh's distinct vision), but no real emotion is established with our leads. This film does, however, show definite promise for Sasha Grey's acting career ...Excellent - nw_kiff
"The Girlfriend Experience" is an experimental films that rarely uses more than one shot in a scene, featuring improvised dialogue. If that sounds like a film you want to avoid, then you probably should. It isn't paced like the average Hollywood film. It follows ...What part of the business model don't you get? - anglophonequebec
Soderbergh gets this right. The other reviewers want some kind of heart-of-gold ending. No. Sasha Grey is perfect for a tough cookie who can look right through the camera in her huge shades. She plays a woman selling a girlfriend experience. She has her own ...