I just saw Shopgirl, the movie based on the novella by Steve Martin. I liked it. The other people I was with didn’t like it, they thought Steve Martin was old and icky and they thought Jason Schwartzmann was young and icky. They thought Claire Danes was too beautiful for it to be plausible that she’d only have those two to choose from.
Now I can see their point on both counts, but it felt more complicated to me than either suitor being simply icky. I think they both were a bit maladjusted but not to the point of derangement. They were ultimately more or less regular guys. Further, it seemed to me that Mirabelle was in control of the situation enough so that she could leave if she ever wanted to. Although they both did things that might have come off as stalkerish or creepy if Mirabelle didn’t like it, it was always fleeting and they never went over the line.
I’m interested in what people thought of the movie in general, but I’d also like people’s thoughts on what I’m talking about above. I guess I’m interested in that part because the other people all seemed to feel squicked out by both Steve Martin and Jason Schwartzmann in this fim, but I didn’t and I wonder if I’m alone in not finding either relationship particularly squicky.
Also, they seemed to think that someone as beautiful as Claire Danes would never have to settle for one of those guys, but I don’t see that myself. I can identify with her character. I’m not a woman, nor am I as attractive as her*, but I can totally identify with not realizing there are people out there who might really want to date me. Sure, she’s female and very good looking, so I imagine that she might get more obvious attention than me, but you’d be surprised at how oblivious some people can be. Plus this is LA, there are LOTS of attractive and outgoing women. Plus I think that Steve Martin and Jason Schartzmann were a bit cute in addition to being squicky.
*I caught a typo in this sentance, originally it read “nor am I ass attractive as her”. “Ass attractive”, I like that.
I liked it a lot. I thought Martin adapted his novel very well, and I liked the cinematography. Didn’t really spend any time comparing Martin and Schwartzman’s attractiveness, since it seemed kinda beside the point.
I liked it too. I found myself relating to Mirabelle a lot, because I’ve been in similar situations in my life. I didn’t really find Schwartzman’s character creepy. He was kinda cute even if he was a little annoying. Steve Martin OTOH, was definitely creepy!
I don’t think I’d have accepted a dinner invitation from that guy, especially the way he wasn’t really smiling when he asked, he just kind of had this overly-confident smirk on his face. I was surprised she ended up falling for him. I think Mirabelle’s character represents someone who isn’t very confident in herself, so she seemed more likely to go for the “underdog” (Schwartzman’s character), but maybe was just flattered by the older, confident businessman-type.
Of course this is coming from a girl who goes for underdogs, usually broke ones. Guys who flaunt their money and are too suave creep me out.
Excellent movie. Excellent performance by Claire Danes. She really brought Mirabelle to life as a complex, three-dimensional character – lonely and insecure enough to date a couple of weird guys, realistic enough to accept her “kept woman” status with Ray Porter, human enough to want more out of the relationship.
Jeremy, at least initially, was a true loser. I can picture Mirabelle going through a period when she was so lonely that he seemed acceptable, but I can’t imagine it would have lasted, whether Porter had ever entered the picture or not.
Her relationship with Porter was definitely more icky, with all kinds of weird undertones. But that didn’t mean the situation and the characters weren’t fascinating and (mostly) sympathetic.
In its own way, the scene where she calls him and they have sex was one of the more human and depressing things I’ve seen on film in a long time. It’s not Hotel Rwanda depressing, but very depressing nonetheless.
That describes my reaction to her relationship with Ray Porter pretty well. I didn’t really want her to end up with him, but he wasn’t a terrible man either.
