Review of The Girlfriend Experience (2009) by Cory M — 18 Feb 2010

Unintentionally funny. So meta it's almost 4th-wall-breaking.

I stopped watching it at the scene they were supposed to argue. All the scenes beforehand were shades of boring but I gave the movie leeway b/c it had potential (all this talk of the depression, a relationship where the girl's an escort, both partners looking to earn more). But that scene proved to me the plot wasn't going anywhere. Jealousy over other lovers is an obvious cause of fighting between the couple but it's a discomfort the guy must've gotten used to long ago if he has known she's an escort. There's nothing special about the new client to explain the chick's interest or the boyfriend's concern. Maybe the plot's heading towards her and the new guy being soulmates b/c of their birth dates but that'd just make it a lame romance movie. Wasn't that what the last movie this director made was? I figured some conflict had to enter the story( possible problems couldn't just bubble forever). When the conflict finally came it was weak sauce. The couple-fight scene proved the movie sucks . Both actors sucked. I didn't buy their chemistry and neither performed differently from other scenes. It's fine for Sasha Grey to be blah-ze about her normal activities and the guy to be subdued when he's trying to get work but when they're arguing there should be some passion. If they've been together for awhile there should be some hurt about the prospect of breaking up. It isn't there. The scene where the movie should start picking up momentum was as flat as the rest. I can enjoy mellower movies like Lost in Translation but this film proved 35 minutes in to 2 hours it didn't deserve the benefit of the doubt.