Review of The Girlfriend Experience (2009) by Suyoun K — 15 Jun 2009

Nicely shot, and Sasha Grey is hot, but... the movie felt a bit too voyeuristic to really engage me. The film also felt very self-referential. As such, much of my commentary on the film is stated by characters in the film. From the opening dialogue through to the funny, lonely clothed orgasm at the end, the film feels very stand-offish, unwilling to divulge anything of substance.

As I write this, though, I realize I did enjoy the movie as sort-of a meta exercise. Soderbergh has created a film that is like it's subject, as the film seems to mimic Chelsea's relationship with her clients: expensive and beautiful, but empty. There's a thin shard of plot here that take nearly an hour to get to, is shown for a brief moment, then is clamped down on, much as Chelsea refuses to let anyone see her "true self" . In the end, I feel Soderbergh is saying this: No matter how "real" the experience is, it's still only an expensive replica of the real thing. Or perhaps even hyper-real, creating an experience that only exists in the temporary, fictional world between client and call-girl. Much like a movie, you pay to be lied to in the same way that many, many others are lied to. The lesson here: filmmaking is prostitution.