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Shopgirl

Review By: Alexis Tuminello
AlexisTuminello@TheCinemaSource.com

Shopgirl is Steve Martin’s best selling novella that here he has turned it into a big screen film. He does a decent job of it too. The characters are more “real” than a lot of today’s feature films portray their stars. A natural vulnerability, apprehension, confusion, and overall sense of sadness float over this cast: the love triangle that never actually was.

Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes) is an isolated girl living her small existence in Los Angeles. She works the glove counter at Saks, a not so subtle metaphor representing the luxury her life lacks. At the laundromat she meets a very distinct young man, Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman) who Ritalin couldn’t even calm and due to the lack of excitement her life has she agrees to a date. Unfortunately it doesn’t contain the fun, adventure or even unique normality a first date usually has. After he walks her to the door and she says the best line in the movie; ‘Are you the type of person it takes time to get to know and then you turn out to be fabulous?’ The date ends without a kiss but a number just in case she wants to call. She doesn’t and it goes in the trash. But one night she realizes just how much she wants to be touched by a man so she digs his number out of the outside garbage and calls. He immediately comes over and it turns into the most awkward sex scene that might actually possibly happen under the oddest circumstances. Meaning it’s just off the wall enough to be movie perfect but just close enough to home it could happen to you. Enter rich, handsome Ray Porter (Steve Martin) strolling up to her counter. He buy’s a pair of black gloves and has them sent to her house, her first taste of glamour. A date has to be grated after that.

A May-December relationship ensues that seems to be perfect for both of them. It’s established in the beginning that neither, especially Ray, were looking for anything serious but after months of mixed signals Mirabelle naturally falls hard for him. How could she not? He flies from Seattle just to have dinner with her, he suggests she leave clothes at his house so she doesn’t have to go home before work, and they spend all their time together. I think anyone would get the idea that despite his initial trepidation a