Shopgirl (2005)

Look past the unnecessary narration and Schwartzman's character who exists only to make this a comedy, and you have two stunningly authentic performances from Claire Danes and Steve Martin. This may be Danes best work, which is only a slight shame because it's not an amazing film. Martin clearly had a large amount of faith in his novel, but again - he did not need to narrate passages that are just as easily communicated through the film. I hear the comparisons to Lost in Translation, and I found this film to be much easier to sit through - it's slow, but it is no where near that slow. It's not a top notch romance by any means, but it has a touch of authenticity that makes it heartwarming. And even if Dane's character is only one you can connect to, it's enough to carry the film.

Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes) is a lonely girl from small town Vermont working at the glove counter in L.A. Saks and heavily in student debt. She meets flighty artistic Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman) at the laundromat. Ray Porter (Steve Martin) is a rich older gentleman. He buys a pair of gloves from Mirabelle and gifts them to her. They begin a relationship but they don't necessarily see their fling the same way. Lisa Cramer (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras) is the gold-digging perfume girl.It's a pretty little movie. Danes is such a lovely girl. The visual look is neatly beautiful. If there is any deficiency, the guys are not worthy of Danes. Schwartzman is playing his man-child character. Martin is too old and too distant. As a romance, it's hard to root for either of them to end up with Danes. In fact, I would rather that she walks off into the sunset on her own.

Unusually sweet movie about lonely people adrift in LA. Also a proof that a "romantic" comedy does not have to be yet another boring chick- flick. Mirabelle is a girl working at the gloves counter of a department store. She does not have much to do, since gloves are not much in demand. In her spare time she draws, Edward Hopper's style. At the laundry, she meets James, a young aimless slob. They have an awkward date. The evening is somehow spoiled by their lack of social and emotional intelligence than by lack of connection.Then Mirabelle starts to be "courted" by Ray, an elderly, rich gentleman, equally unable to connect emotionally, but very much skilled in old-fashioned gallantry. The two embark in a sexual relationship which in Ray's mind will never turn into "commitment".Although Mirabelle enjoys the obvious perks of dating a rich, kind man, she starts longing for emotional fulfillment. In the meantime James leaves LA to be a roadie of some sort and while travelling with a rock band, he gets some self-help books about relationships. When James comes back to town, sort of matured by his experience, the Mirabelle/Ray relation has reached stalemate. Reluctant to give up on Ray, Mirabelle fells into a depression, probably triggered by her unspoken needs. Eventually Ray breaks it off, setting in motion a more assertive Mirabelle, who finally decides to quit her boring job.The two meet some time after the break-up. Mirabelle is working in an art gallery showing some of her work. She and James are now happily together, while Ray is visiting the exhibition with another "girlfriend" of some sort. Mirabelle and Ray have a short private conversation during which he admits of having loved her, but that does not matter anymore to Mirabelle.I really enjoyed the simple storyline and the interpretation of the three main characters.

Shopgirl follows the story of Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes), a 20-something from Vermont, as she attempts to make someone of herself in Beverley Hills. Working in the glove department at Saks, Mirabelle meets two very different men who each bring a different perspective to her life: Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), a struggling artist like herself, and Ray Porter (Steve Martin), a wealthy, much older man. As Mirabelle explores her relationships with the two, she begins discover who she is and who she wants to become.Be warned, viewers: Shopgirl is no romantic comedy, as the summary on the back of the DVD and Steve Martin's presence might lead you to believe. Instead, it is a wonderfully introspective look at the nature of relationships and our ability to choose what to make of ourselves. Claire Danes gives an engrossing performance in her role as the naive yet engaging Mirabelle, who begins as an ordinary shopgirl yearning to be someone. Danes has a quiet elegance about her that feels completely feminine, and it is easy for the audience to empathize with her character. Schwartzman, meanwhile, is successfully annoying as the scruffy Jeremy, but ultimately proves to Mirabelle and the audience that he is worth considering.My only gripe is Steve Martin as Ray Porter, a charming, older man who pursues Danes' character but keeps her at a distance at the same time. Martin wrote the script based on his novella of the same name, and is also the narrator of the film. This, I think, is quite redundant and self-gratifying (albeit perhaps unintentionally). The love scenes between Ray and Mirabelle are also a little awkward - it would have been better with a different actor, especially knowing that Martin created the characters. Nevertheless, Ray doesn't turn out to be a creep or a sugar daddy, and his relationship with Mirabelle is realistic. Both Martin's and Danes' performances are elegant and nuanced.Shopgirl is slow-paced, darkly humorous, and truthful without trying. Despite its premise, it doesn't turn into a bitter social commentary; indeed, as someone previously mentioned, it might remind one of Lost in Translation. The script is well-done, especially the ending and the beginning, and Anand Tucker directs with a sure hand. Though it's not for everyone, Shopgirl is, in all ways, a wonderful film.