Review of Girlfriend Experience (2008) by Matthew P — 30 Sep 2009

In "The Girlfriend Experience" humanity is defined by capitalism, and every interaction is some form of business deal in which each party must receive benefits. Unfortunately, the theme of the film is only given a shallow treatment, and is further degraded by a weak lead performance.

Director Steven Soderbergh is interested in capturing the ambience of a given space and fracturing time with non-linear editing, which often lends the film a hypnotic quality. He seems to have little interest in the thin story, but his experimental approach cannot save what amounts to a hollow and dull showcase for the art of editing.