Shopgirl
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Movie Reviews of Shopgirl
Movie Review: All Or Nothing At All.
Summary: 4 Stars
Shopgirl is probably Claire Danes' most tailor-made role since My So Called Life. This film is being called by some critics as a combination of Lost In Translation and Breakfast At Tiffany's. To me, this film is a good romantic love-triangle comedy. It's a joy to see Steve Martin abandon those goofy comedies and turn his novella into a heartfelt and realistic portrait of finding love in a hectic city like Los Angeles. Martin had declared that Claire Danes was the only young actress suitable to play the lead in this film, and I think he's right. Claire Danes' Mirabelle character is naive, sweet, and vulnerable, and it's the very reason she attracts her two love interest in the story.
Mirabelle is a good girl from Vermont, and she struggles to pursue her dream as an artist while working at the glove counter at SAKS Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles. She lives with her cat in a small low-rent apartment in Silver Lake, and she spend some of her spare time drawing black and white obstract self-portraits. She has an outstanding student loan in the five digits and she can only afford to pay less than $50 a month. Aside from her mundane job and her poor living condition, she's on anti-depression.
On a fatefully day, she meets Jeremy(Jason Schwartzman) at the neighborhood laundromat, and they start to go on dates afterwards. Jeremy is logo design artist, and he's even more broke than her, but his bizzare sense of humour instantly charms her. He's really not her ideal boyfriend material, but he knows how to make her laugh. Just when she thought she was going to become more involved with him, along came her second suitor.
Ray Porter(Steve Martin) is wealthy businessman, and he has a fancy house in L.A. and Seattle. He bought a pair of gloves from Mirabelle at her counter, and sent it to her apartment with an card enclosed to invite her to a date. She was very flattered and delighted by him. He is completely opposite of Jeremy. He can provide her everything money can buy, and he eventually spent a great deal of money on her, such as fancy dresses, fine dinning, high society events, and he even paid off her overdued loan. She's so taken by him, and thought he loves her, since he treats her like a queen. She decides to drop Jeremy in hoping to become the future Mrs. Porter. Jeremy goes away with a rock band on the road, and he still continues to think of Mirabelle. Just when Mirabelle thought her relationship with Ray was heading towards the next stage, he tells her that he just wanted to keep it a non-committed relationship. This of course upsets her and she steps back from him, because she wanted him to change his mind. When things start to look bleak for her, Jeremy comes back to her life and wanted to start over. Will the rich heartbreaker come back to make things right for her or will she walk away in the arms of Jeremy?
This film provides a beautiful original score and the editing and cinematography also deliver the mood and pace well. There is few characters in this film, which allows the three leads to explore their characters in depth. Bridgette Wilson plays Mirabelle's golddigger co-worker. Her ditzy blonde role was very funny, especially the two scenes opposite Jeremy. I was surprised that Frances Conroy(Broken Flowers) who played Mirabelle's mother had just one brief dialogue-free scene. Most of the funny moments is provided by Schwartzman's scenes opposite Danes, but it made it looked like a really funny rom-com for the first half an hour. The often funny Steve Martin is not funny this time. He's actually trying to be charming and sophisticated like Gary Grant or Richard Gere kind of personas. I know a lot of the audiences probably didn't find the love scenes very "watchable", considered that Danes is at least 30 years younger than Martin, also Schwartzman is not quite your typical sexy hearthrob, because he doesn't have the kind of body to serve as the eye-candy. Claire Danes was willing to do full rear nudity for art's sake. She managed to delivered the most multilayered performance of her career. I think she might get a Golden Globe nomination if not the Oscar. The bottom line: this film is good date movie, and it's more appealing to the female audiences for sure.
Movie Review: Very successful film adaptation of Martin's small, lovely book
Summary: 4 Stars
SHOPGIRL was a delightful little book (novella, really) that revealed Steve Martin to be an author who could neatly blend sharp cynicism, wry wit and old-fashioned sentimentality into a concoction all his own. It combined asute observations about LA's cultural "scene" (as he also did in the film LA STORY), with a romance and lead character that were almost of another time. The result, to me, was sweet and satisfying...and made me appreciate the unique comic genius that Martin is. I know many people objected to the book, as being too trite, too satisfied with itself, to overwrought in its romance. I liked it, and so I looked forward to the movie very much. As did my wife.
First, let me say that if you didn't like the book, there's no reason to hope the movie will change your mind. It's a fairly fastidious recreation not only of the events of the book, but the tone as well.
As a book to screen translation, SHOPGIRL is better than most. There are certainly events that are missing from the film, particularly as the book was filled with internal dialogue or at least, it had an "all knowing" narrator who showed us directly to the heart of the characters. The film does have some narration, but it is blessedly minimal. We are left to discern this inner life from the acting, and from some carefully chosen camera work and editing.
The main character, lonely, lovely Mirabelle, is played by Clare Danes. She's one of America's best young actresses. She's great in IGBY GOES DOWN, and she's actually quite believable and grounded in reality in TERMINATOR 3. SHOPGIRL gives her a chance to shine...much like the character of her older lover Ray Porter... Steve Martin has pulled Clare Danes from relative obscurity and turned her into something special. (Yeah, that's an exaggeration, but it sounds good.) If the role of Mirabelle isn't played well, the movie has no chance of succeeding. Fortunately, Danes is MORE than up to the challenge. She has a wonderfully expressive face, whether feeling joyful or sad. There's no chance in "real life" that she would ever have been lonely and ignored by most men. The book goes to great lengths to show us what a wallflower she is. In the movie, Danes is too noticeable to be believed as a poor loser waiting to be discovered. So, she's portrayed as a bit shy perhaps, and she also works the glove counter at a department store where the glove counter is by far the LEAST visited store counter in history. She's so immobile and useless behind her counter that we can imagine she's somewhat disappeared from herself.
Steve Martin plays Ray Porter, the older, rich man who takes a liking to her and makes her feel special. He tells her that he isn't looking for a long-term relationship...but he is so romantic with her, so courtly, and lavishes on her so well that poor Mirabelle can't help but believe that he feels differently about her. Martin is very good, although his age is showing, and I hope he doesn't pull the Woody Allen thing of pairing himself with women far too young. Some have criticized him for casting himself in such a light...I think he probably sees a bit of himself in this character (which he created, of course). Perhaps it's a bit brave of him to take it on.
Jason Schwartzman as the clueless young man who yearns for Mirabelle (and whom we all know is right for her) is a bundle of nervous energy and inappropriate remarks. Schwartzman is a fun performer to watch...an amusing mixture of his own native intelligence, usually put to the service of playing a character who is a bit of a social loser.
SHOPGIRL, to me, was a very satisfying adaptation. It's the very epitome of bittersweet. It is not a particularly "believable" story...it's a sort of modern fairy tale. I don't give it 5 stars simply because it is such a slight piece. It isn't aiming to do much, and thus didn't thrill me the way a truly brilliantly made film does. But the terrific performances (including, in my opinion, Oscar-nomination worthy work from Danes), witty script and carefully observed settings and costumes (watch the colors Danes surrounds herself with) make this a little film well worth taking a look at.
Movie Review: A smart, tender, and emotional love story
Summary: 4 Stars
Everyone knows Steve Martin the actor. But they probably don't know that Steve Martin the writer is equally talented, if not more so. He proved that by writing the screenplays for such films as "The Jerk," "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid," and "L.A. Story," among others, all films which he also starred in. "Shopgirl," based on his own novella, is perhaps the richest, most beautiful screenplay he has written yet and easily his most dramatic film role to date.
On the top floor of Sacks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, Mirabelle, a meek, quiet salesgirl, stands behind the glove counter to help pay off her student loans and support herself while pursuing a career as an artist. Her life takes a drastic turn when she's simultaneously pursued by Ray (Martin) a rich, cultured fifty-something businessman, and Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), a less-refined, less-rich, and disturbingly sloppy bachelor.
Mirabelle finds herself falling for Ray, but he's definitely wrong for her. She starts snubbing Jeremy, and he could be the Mr. Right she didn't even realize she needed.
"Shopgirl" takes all the typical ingredients of a cliched romantic comedy and turns them into a beautiful work of art. The film sparkles with hilariously authentic dialogue and situations so real, they're almost painful to watch.
Steve Martin and Claire Danes have surprisingly great chemistry and Jason Scwartzman is delightfully hilarious as Jeremy. Their performances help flesh out some of the richest, most intriguing characters on film in a long time.
They don't seem like characters at all, because they're not perfect and they each have flaws that keep them from being happy. They're people we know or have come across at some point in our lives, and these characters are what makes the film so special.
"Shopgirl" feels like "Lost In Translation" meets "Annie Hall" mixed with a conventional Hollywood romance. It's a touching and poignant film that explores the idea of falling in love without idealizing it and making it seem like a perfect paradise, which most of the time, it isn't.
Some avid readers may complain that Martin has upset the balance of his original novella by drastically expanding the role of Jeremy. Although this creates a more conventional love triangle, it also adds some welcome comic relief to the film in way of Scwartzman's fantastic turn as Jeremy. He is especially funny during a mistaken-identity encounter with Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, who plays Mirabelle's wicked, gold-digging co-worker Lisa.
Most of the time, romance is a convenient Hollywood convention that always rakes in the cash. Rarely do we see a film that treats the subject so seriously and with so much heart. "Shopgirl" does just that by exploring the highs and lows of love, the disappointments, the desperate second chances, the awkward moments, and the passion that quickly turns to heartache.
"Shopgirl" is not a film for everyone. It's a bittersweet tale that plays with Hollywood conventions, but doesn't follow them. Hearts are broken, trust is betrayed, and no one really learns their lesson. That's life and "Shopgirl" portrays it well. The film does overstay it's welcome just a bit toward the end, but overall, it is a well-thought out and extremely entertaining adaptation of a cute novella.
In a time when Hollywood is at its worst creative and financial slump ever, it's refreshing to see a film like "Shopgirl." The characters are rich and the dialogue is well-written and funny while the situations ring surprisingly true. The performances are top-notch and the film is engrossing, if just a tad too long.
All in all, "Shopgirl" is a boisterously entertaining, invigorating, and endearing film. Women are bound to enjoy this more than men, but it's simplicity and honesty makes it a wonderfully depressing date movie that needs to be seen.
Movie Review: Witty Steve Martin novella takes flight in subtle, somber comedy
Summary: 4 Stars
Steve Martin's career arc continues its undeniable path toward dignity with the "Shopgirl," the film adaptation of Martin's own novella. Having left the early manic days of arrows-through-the-head, King Tut, and "The Jerk," long behind him, Martin has moved into that rare air occupied by only himself, Bill Murray, and (occasionally) Robin Williams - great comedians who are also fine "serious" actors and storytellers.
I have been a fan of much of Martin's later work, including his one-act play, "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," excluding of course his major-studio dreck such as "The Pink Panther." What separates "Shopgirl" from his other works is that Martin has finally invented characters who do not talk just like Steve Martin. These two characters are the young lovers, Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes) and Jeremy Kraft (Jason Schwartzman). There is one character who sounds exactly like Steve Martin, but that is Ray Porter, who is played by Martin, so perhaps that can be forgiven.
"Shopgirl" is ostensibly the story of Mirabelle, a starving artist crippled by student loans and working a dull retail job selling gloves at Saks. It's no surprise that she's on medication for depression. So lonely is Mirabelle that she takes an interest in Jeremy, a hugely self-centered "artist" (his medium is stenciling, his passion is fonts). Jeremy is so pathetic that he offers to go Dutch on a movie, and then asks if he can borrow some money. I won't mention here Jeremy's other creative cost-cutting measures! The fact that the gorgeous Mirabelle is willing to go on a second date with Jeremy is a testament to how empty her life is.
And then Ray Porter walks into her life. Porter is one of those guys who occasionally pop up in coming-of-age stories for women. He is rich, intelligent, handsome, and values the intoxicating joy of courtship before taking a woman to bed. Ultimately, he's just as focused as Jeremy in getting Mirabelle in the sack, but he wants her to really want it first.
Mirabelle quickly sheds Jeremy for Ray, and Ray sets about seducing Mirabelle. For Ray, seducing women is pretty easy, given his vast wealth from software and his considerable charm. But Mirabelle never asks herself why this charming, rich man is still single. Could he have commitment issues? Never mind - at first, Mirabelle is sufficiently happy with the attention Ray is paying her to let this sleeping dog lie.
While the Ray-Mirabelle romance progresses, Jeremy begins his voyage of discovery on the road with a rock band promoting his "designer amplifiers." In a typical Martin-esque twist, the rock band teaches the cad Jeremy about the importance of inner peace, yoga, and treatin' a woman right. Jeremy returns from the road to win back Mirabelle, and now he is armed with his own brand of charm and an awareness that other people have feelings.
Everything in "Shopgirl" proceeds at a stylish, methodical pace. Martin knows better than to rush anything, and you find yourself really caring about these three people.
Indeed, there is only one jarring problem with the movie, and that is Martin's choice to serve as the movie's omniscient narrator as well as Porter. This is never explained, and it makes one question who Ray Porter is - is he the actual, flawed human being in the movie, or is he some kind of divine construct used for the Education of Mirabelle? For such a witty, charming movie, it is a jarring note that is deeply unsatisfying.
But fans of Steve Martin have probably already seen "Shopgirl." And it is worth mentioning that Danes gives an excellent performance in "Shopgirl" that almost wipes out the stench of "The Mod Squad." Schwartzman lives up to the promise of "Rushmore," and perhaps there can be no higher praise than that.
Check it out.
Movie Review: LOST in TRANSLATION: Part 2
Summary: 4 Stars
How quickly life can beat us down. When our feet hit the ground running after four years of college, didn't we all sit there and wonder "What Now?" How many of us got power jobs and unlimited incomes? Very few. After college life sets in. Many of us don't even move. SHOPGIRL is a small look into a young woman's life and shows us how happiness may be right under our noses it just wasn't the right time.
Mirabelle Buttersfield (Clare Danes) leads a simple life. She's living in LA, recently off the bus from Vermont, and she has aspirations of being an artist. But alas she finds herself working behind the glove counter at Saks. Living in a cozy little apartment, and leading an incredibly dull life. Things change only slightly when Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman) asks her out on a date. He's a bit of a slob, and has the social graces of a mutant toad. But somewhere between his awkward comments and her gentile nature they strike up a relationship with very little steam but genuine care.
But one day Ray Porter (Steve Martin) shows up. He's Jeremy except, 30 years older, highly successful, and able to hide his social ticks behind of years of experience. Ray sweeps Mirabelle off her feet and into a relationship that is full of passion, but very little else.
Director Anand Tucker (Hillary and Jackie) and screenwriter Steve Martin have crafted a nice film. A film that begs to be looked at. On the surface it's a sweet romantic comedy. It has many of the same devices you'd see in any Julia Roberts/Richard Gere fantasy. But Martin's script fills the story with so much more. Like 2003's LOST IN TRANSLATION, SHOP GIRL tells the story if Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson had continued their affair at home. The cinematography is sweeping and Tucker frames shots of absolute beauty you wonder why the TV ads for this film make it seem so conventional.
Martin and Danes also have an interesting chemistry. Danes especially carries the film which is difficult because the script treats Mirabelle with such kid gloves. She brings light to a role that could easily have been window dressing. The film is really about the two men being changed by a beautiful women, and you can see the inner conflict raging in Ray Porters head. He wants to love this women, but the years have dulled his drive that all he can muster is fathering this women.
SHOPGIRL main problem is that sometimes Tucker's camera lingers on things for no apparent reason. The film skirts the line of pretentious art film at times. While the actors strike the right cord you can't help but see Tucker's eye for pictures is too caught up with making things look nice, and making Danes look like a goddess. This at times slows the flow of the film down. SHOP GIRL like LOST IN TRANSLATION will lose some of its natural charm because it will be too easy to distracted at home and look away in your living room.
I also could have done without the needless subplot involving Bridgette Wilson-Sampras. Her character wasn't realized enough to allow me to care and the humor seemed a bit out of place. I have a feeling there is probably more of her left on the cutting room floor. I would have left it all out. I also thought there was a nice logical ending to the film that would have left it a little more ambiguous. The final coda seemed tacked on for nothing more than the sweet and warm happy ending appeal. It wasn't needed.
Sometimes people come into our life at the wrong time. Sometimes life throws us a curve ball and sometimes Hollywood throws us a bone and produces a movie that has feeling and depth without spoon feeding us fake drama. SHOP GIRL is a good movie because it leaves you feeling okay about things and that's just fine with me.