Review of Girlfriend Experience (2008) by Andy L — 29 May 2010

This movie is clean, impeccable, and intriguing. Great acting all around,(Sasha Grey is cold and cool, and exactly what this role calls for), but the standout is Chelsea's boyfriend, played by Chris Santos. Witnessing his daily grind and what he comes home to really solidifies the relationship that Chris and Chelsea have spent the last year or so building. He balances everything to perfection, and when the scales finally tip, it's compelling to watch things fall apart. Chelsea's habits as a call-girl are all very personal, close to the vest, and calculated. This movie does an amazing job of not leading us down a path to judging its characters, however. We are just witnesses to the choices they make. Just a fly on the wall.

Steven Soderbergh is always original, understated, and has the most amazing eye for telling a story. This movie is only 70 minutes long, and delves into the multi-faceted tale of a call-girl and her experiences of mixing business with personal life, as well exposing how her eccentrically narrow choices have caused her to not only lose the few near and dear to her, but her sense of self as well. It's fascinating and it never lost my attention once.