I was curious about The Girlfriend Experience, which I discovered while browsing through my library´s online collection. Since it was so short, I figured that I had nothing to lose. It reminds me of the fly-on-a-wall documentaries produced by many well-regarded filmmakers in the 1950s and 1960s. Director Soderbergh also has a reputation for intelligent and well-made films, and this one offers a what appears to be a realistic look at the life of a high-end escort. There is no discernible major plot, but that is the nature of fly-on-the-wall documentaries, which do seem to have informed this production. The construction of this work should be of interest to film buffs, as there are several subplots (complete with turning points and dénouements), but there is no governing ¨story¨. It´s more like a concatenation of short stories.
What is life as a hooker to well-off New Yorkers really like? I don´t know whether this is completely fictional or not but it felt pretty authentic. The naysayers seem to be fans of Sasha Grey´s porn oeuvre, who were probably hoping to see some serious action here, which is not provided. Other critics seemed to be hoping for a moral critique of prostitution and the dangers inherent to the profession. Not being a porn watcher, I had never heard of Sasha Grey until this film. I note that she has a sort of Ellen Barkin asymmetrical smile. No idea why she took the porn road at the age of eighteen.
Overall, The Girlfriend Experience is not bad, but if you are looking for a movie with a discernible and overarching plot, The Girlfriend Experience probably will not satisfy.
What is life as a hooker to well-off New Yorkers really like? I don´t know whether this is completely fictional or not but it felt pretty authentic. The naysayers seem to be fans of Sasha Grey´s porn oeuvre, who were probably hoping to see some serious action here, which is not provided. Other critics seemed to be hoping for a moral critique of prostitution and the dangers inherent to the profession. Not being a porn watcher, I had never heard of Sasha Grey until this film. I note that she has a sort of Ellen Barkin asymmetrical smile. No idea why she took the porn road at the age of eighteen.
Overall, The Girlfriend Experience is not bad, but if you are looking for a movie with a discernible and overarching plot, The Girlfriend Experience probably will not satisfy.