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Back Shelf Beauties
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Shopgirl Steve Martin started out his career as a funny writer, then he became one wild and crazy guy selling out arenas and making movies. However, as he has aged gracefully, Martin has shown an amazing ability to let his career grow and transform. Now, he's a playwright, serious actor, and occasional contributor to The New Yorker. If you haven't been paying attention, Shopgirl might be the most shocking Steve Martin performance you have ever seen. Claire Danes stars as Mirabelle - a twentysomething young lady from Vermont working the glove counter at Saks Fifth Avenue (not Neiman Marcus like in the book, fans of the novella should just breath and everything will be OK). In her spare time, Mirabelle is an artist and loner spending most of her time in her tiny little apartment in the part of Los Angeles that isn't so glamorous. Instead of another night watching television, she wants to live some sort of dream she imagined the big city would be for her. One night, at the Laundromat, Mirabelle meets Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman) - another twentysomething who isn't all that perfect or charming, but he's eager and willing, just like her, so they start to see each other. Soon, Jeremy is off on the road with a rock band, and replaced by Ray Porter (Steve Martin) - a fiftysomething womanizing millionaire who splits his time between Seattle and Los Angeles. He just wants Mirabelle as a trophy, but she starts to fall for him or, maybe, everything he represents. Will Ray fall in love with Mirabelle? Will Jeremy return? How badly can this all end? Does Mirabelle love either of these guys, or is she in love with the idea of having a relationship? Shopgirl is a movie of questions, feelings and trying to determine what we want out of life, which gives the movie a sullen tone we can all recognize, interrupted by moments of sheer joy and happiness. Yeah, it's kind of like life that way, and director Anand Tucker has a way of visually presenting it to the audience. His opening sequence as we walk through the hustle and bustle of Saks until we reach the quiet, lonely, isolated glove counter with Mirabelle is wonderfully symbolic of her plight and life, all described with more detail and impact than a soliloquy ever could. Martin's script creates distinct characters with easily understood personalities and the kind of real life, awkward conversations most people have in these kinds of situations. He shows us how each character has a different view and expectation of their various relationships, and lets us watch the relationships develop to their conclusions. Also, don't go to Shopgirl looking for a romantic comedy or fairy tale. Martin doesn't glamorize the lives and decisions of the characters. Mirabelle and Jeremy's hook ups aren't amazing and mind blowing complete with a soundtrack featuring a new Kelly Clarkson song. Quite the opposite, she knows Jeremy is just a port in the storm and some sort of anchor to hold onto when she wants it. Ray shows no remorse as he tells his therapist what he really thinks of Mirabelle, then has to deal with his emotions later in the film when he can't do anything about it. Martin removes any sugarcoating and lets the audience see these people for the flawed humans they are, which makes it more fascinating, especially for the actors. Danes is delightful to watch as she makes Mirabelle into a character men or women can relate to. Free of irony, hip one-liners and a better-than-you attitude, she's just a likable gal trying to adjust to the big city, while pursuing her dreams. She's the girl who lives in the apartment next door rather than some fabulous Sex in the City gal, even though you get the impression Mirabelle kind of wishes her life was a Julia Roberts movie. All of the sudden, Ray shows up as an aging Hugh Grant ready to sweep her off her feet, and she falls for it. Mirabelle deeply feels her emotions, and lets us know it, but Danes never wavers to any extreme, always trying to hold back just a little bit. It's as if the young lady is almost too scared to let the world know what she thinks, except through her art, and Daines let's that shine through. Of course, Mr. Steve Martin is awesome. Ray could come off as a conniving, slick, predator of a man, but Martin is smart enough to know that kind of guy doesn't have success or make people want to watch the movie. Martin makes Ray into a guy torn between doing what's right and what feels good. Maybe Ray is feeding his ego by romancing a younger woman. Maybe Ray is bored with his life and needs to spice it up. Maybe he really loves Mirabelle. Martin is smart enough to make us wonder. Shopgirl is a moving, intriguing, challenging film for those who expect something more out of life and the cinema. 4 Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
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