Review of Girlfriend Experience (2008) by Ashley T — 30 Sep 2009

While I admire Steven Soderbergh for venturing out into more experimental territory between his glossy studio films, this is not one of his stronger efforts. Casting adult film star Sasha Grey in the lead role as high-priced Manhattan escort Chelsea, we follow her around in the week leading up to the election.

She has a boyfriend who supports her career choice, but when she appears to have developed a closer relationship with a client, he freaks out a bit. Great concept, it's too bad Soderbergh put zero drama into the script.

Every scene is just a pair of people talking. The conversation subjects are dull, repetitive, and instantly dated because so much of it is related to the 2008 election and the economy. Not very exciting in the first place, let alone after it's all anybody has been talking about it in our everyday lives for a good two years.

The resulting movie is incredibly flat, and it doesn't show us at all whether Sasha Grey can actually act, which is surely one of the reasons why so many people are so curious to see this. She's only playing a version of herself here.