W ith a film-maker as prolific and fluent as Steven Soderbergh , there are bound to be some misses to go with the hits. But I don't think Soderbergh has ever missed quite as badly as this: a shallow, negligent piece of work, badly acted and casually put together.
The Girlfriend Experience is a digital video picture about a high-class prostitute called Chelsea, played by real-life porn star Sasha Grey. Chelsea is in a committed relationship with Chris Chris Santos , a personal trainer who doesn't mind what she does, but is one day horrified when Chelsea announces that she has formed an attachment to one of her clients, and is going away with him for a few days.
Is it love? Who knows? Certainly, the droningly wooden Grey doesn't have the acting ability to suggest anything as interesting as an interior conflict, and the persistent, desultory dialogue with her various clients about the credit crunch is never convincing. There is a cameo for Glenn Kenny, the former film critic on Premiere magazine, here playing an online "Erotic Connoisseur" who gets a freebie from Chelsea on the understanding that he will give her a great write-up and take her on a trip to Dubai where, at the time of filming, the real high-rollers were to be found.
This horrible sleazeball merely writes a nasty review of Chelsea's charms. The irony is not entirely intentional. Not much of an experience, this. A star is porn? Sasha Grey in The Girlfriend Experience. This article is more than 15 years old. I don't think Steven Soderbergh has ever missed quite as badly as this: a shallow, negligent piece of work, badly acted and casually put together. Explore more on these topics Drama films Steven Soderbergh reviews.
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