Review of Shopgirl (2005) by Kirby W — 16 Aug 2018

Steve Martin thinks he's being literary by offering us snapshot monologues from his novella which are fake deep at best. The characters in this lover's triangle are all poorly developed creatures who do share one redeeming feature-all are miserably lonely.

But what do we know of the girl-woman who sells opera gloves at Saks? And why is it that she's working there at all after graduating from a prestigious Vermont college? Strange. And funny how she has no boyfriend at the start of the film.

The relationship between characters played by Martin and Danes is creepy and lecherous, as if Danes is kissing her snowy-haired grandfather. Can you say Daddy issues? This all feels forced, especially when Danes gets paid to strip to the buff to please the dudes in the audience.

Claire, Claire, Claire. And there's absolutely no chemistry between Danes and Schartzman. I get the feeling that Steve Martin actually believes that he has delivered up a novella and matching film of literary significance, but what he actually has is a phony baloney chunk of writing that will soon be forgotten.