Review: Shopgirl (Tucker, 2005)
March 16th 2010 23:11
Shopgirl is one of my favorite books as well as a great film. I saw it when it was first released and this review was written at that time. I revised the film recently and believe it truly is an underrated gem with a gorgeous performance at its center.
Shopgirl (2005, Tucker)
Shopgirl is a glimpse into the life of a woman through brief moments, tiny details, and a slow-paced story that unfolds like when one savors a good book, lingering over every word. Perhaps then, it should come as no surprise that it is based on a novella written by one of its stars (Steve Martin). Oddly enough, Martin receives first billing, when in actuality the film belongs to Mirabelle Buttersfield, played brilliantly by Claire Danes.
Right from the start we are taken into Mirabelle’s life through an endless pan across lipsticks, make-up and display cases. This is Saks Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles, where Mirabelle works (changed from the Neiman’s location in the novella). We receive shots of busy sales people, glamorous make-up and makeovers and the hustle and bustle of a department store. That is until the camera pans upward, to the second floor, where Mirabelle works in the glove department. Her surroundings are boring and quiet as she leans on the glass with her elbows and stares into space, awaiting the approach of customers.
The opening of the film does a good job matching the novella, since it is often difficult to get across the feel of details when descriptive words are replaced with a camera. A voice-over tells us that Mirabelle is the type of person who needs an omniscient narrator to make her stand out and explain why she is unique. This narrator comes in the form of Ray Porter (Martin) whom she is soon to meet. However, first she must meet Jeremy, a 20-something generic loser, played by Jason Schwartzman.
The scenes with Mirabelle and Jeremy are awkward and palpable to anyone who’s been on a bad first date. She expresses no real interest in him again until she hears a radio program about women needing to be held after sex. She then calls him, not for the sex act, but for the holding. The sex is as awkward as anything else between them and afterwards she of course isn’t being held.
Then she meets Ray Porter, a successful 50-something business man with his own private jet who woos her with gloves and dinner at an expensive restaurant. Ray is everything Jeremy is not: clean, proper, chivalrous, and not expecting a kiss on a first (or even third) date. Mirabelle goes into the relationship wanting intimacy and love, when Ray mostly just wants sex, unable to admit he cares for her, yet showing it in little, unpronounced ways. Shopgirl is as much about sex as it is love, and we are shown a true adult story through these sexual encounters. They aren’t done for the titillation of the audience, but rather to provide additional character development, something that rarely happens in film today.
Shopgirl, curiously, has not received overwhelming praise from critics. This is possibly because not everyone has read the book and is bored by the slow pacing. Martin’s adaptation of his novella is incredibly faithful and satisfying. This is not a plot-driven piece, but one that relies on the strength of its characters, particularly Mirabelle.
Mirabelle Buttersfield is a beautifully complex, awkward and unique character that is more identifiable to woman than most of the female protagonists produced by Hollywood these days. She does not have all the answers and is certainly not someone you desire to be like, because in reality, you probably already are. There is no fairytale ending, but instead the right ending, the only one there can be. This uniqueness makes Shopgirl fit like a glove.
Shopgirl (2005, Tucker)
Shopgirl is a glimpse into the life of a woman through brief moments, tiny details, and a slow-paced story that unfolds like when one savors a good book, lingering over every word. Perhaps then, it should come as no surprise that it is based on a novella written by one of its stars (Steve Martin). Oddly enough, Martin receives first billing, when in actuality the film belongs to Mirabelle Buttersfield, played brilliantly by Claire Danes.
Right from the start we are taken into Mirabelle’s life through an endless pan across lipsticks, make-up and display cases. This is Saks Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles, where Mirabelle works (changed from the Neiman’s location in the novella). We receive shots of busy sales people, glamorous make-up and makeovers and the hustle and bustle of a department store. That is until the camera pans upward, to the second floor, where Mirabelle works in the glove department. Her surroundings are boring and quiet as she leans on the glass with her elbows and stares into space, awaiting the approach of customers.
The opening of the film does a good job matching the novella, since it is often difficult to get across the feel of details when descriptive words are replaced with a camera. A voice-over tells us that Mirabelle is the type of person who needs an omniscient narrator to make her stand out and explain why she is unique. This narrator comes in the form of Ray Porter (Martin) whom she is soon to meet. However, first she must meet Jeremy, a 20-something generic loser, played by Jason Schwartzman.
The scenes with Mirabelle and Jeremy are awkward and palpable to anyone who’s been on a bad first date. She expresses no real interest in him again until she hears a radio program about women needing to be held after sex. She then calls him, not for the sex act, but for the holding. The sex is as awkward as anything else between them and afterwards she of course isn’t being held.
Then she meets Ray Porter, a successful 50-something business man with his own private jet who woos her with gloves and dinner at an expensive restaurant. Ray is everything Jeremy is not: clean, proper, chivalrous, and not expecting a kiss on a first (or even third) date. Mirabelle goes into the relationship wanting intimacy and love, when Ray mostly just wants sex, unable to admit he cares for her, yet showing it in little, unpronounced ways. Shopgirl is as much about sex as it is love, and we are shown a true adult story through these sexual encounters. They aren’t done for the titillation of the audience, but rather to provide additional character development, something that rarely happens in film today.
Shopgirl, curiously, has not received overwhelming praise from critics. This is possibly because not everyone has read the book and is bored by the slow pacing. Martin’s adaptation of his novella is incredibly faithful and satisfying. This is not a plot-driven piece, but one that relies on the strength of its characters, particularly Mirabelle.
Mirabelle Buttersfield is a beautifully complex, awkward and unique character that is more identifiable to woman than most of the female protagonists produced by Hollywood these days. She does not have all the answers and is certainly not someone you desire to be like, because in reality, you probably already are. There is no fairytale ending, but instead the right ending, the only one there can be. This uniqueness makes Shopgirl fit like a glove.
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Comment by Journeywoman
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The Mama Sutra
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Fashion Peach
I really, REALLY didn't like the ending though. At all. I kind of wanted to see some kind of character progression, or evidence of some new-found gumption in Mirabelle but no... she was the same character at the end of the film as she was at the beginning. Likable but way too meek for me to have much respect for her. Therein lies the 'realness' I suppose!
Great review.
Comment by Cinema is Truth