The Girlfriend Experience (2009 Film)

Has anyone seen this 2009 indie, directed by Steven Soderbergh? Looks interesting.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103982/

A drama set in the days leading up to the 2008 Presidential election, and centered on a high-end Manhattan call girl meeting the challenges of her boyfriend, her clients, and her work.
It looks at least worth checking out, unless people here tell me it's awful and a waste of time. That said -- I'm very new to the demimonde, but I was reading this review by Roger Ebert (whose reviews I generally like and trust; I'm old enough to remember the days of "Siskel and Ebert") -- http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/...IEWS/905209991 -- and I was wondering if anyone else found these couple of paragraphs (describing the movie in particular, although they might arguably be taken to describe clients of high-end providers in the real world more generally?) hitting a little uncomfortably close to home, as I did:

These men don't want a girlfriend experience. They want a boyfriend experience. They want to feel as if they're on a date. They will be listened to. Their amazing comments will be smiled at. Their hair will be tousled. They will be kidded. They have told Chelsea about their wives and children, and she remembers their names. They can kiss her. There is no illusion that they are leaving their wives, and none that she wants them to. She simply empowers them to feel younger, more looked up to, more clever, than they are.

What draws a powerful man to pay for a women outside of marriage? It's not the sex. In fact, sex is the beard, if you know what I mean. By paying money for the excuse of sex, they don't have to say: I am lonely. I am fearful. I am growing older. I am not loved. My wife is bored with me. I can't talk to my children. I'm worried about my job, which means nothing to me. Above all, they are saying: Pretend you like me.
Ummmmm, ouch?
I thought the best part of the movie was the drum solo.
I thought the best part of the movie was the drum solo. Originally Posted by pjorourke
I thought the best part was seeing Sasha Grey naked! Then again, there's plenty of films where you can see that, and most are more intelligent.

It looks at least worth checking out. Originally Posted by Curious_Cat
It's not. I promise.

Sasha Grey is gorgeous though.
Mazomaniac's Avatar
I thought the best part was falling asleep next Mrs. Mazo half way through it.

Cheers,
Mazo.
Britney_Jaye_Loves_You's Avatar
I saw this movie a few weeks ago for the first time when doing an overnight with a regular, I thought it was interesting. It was a little confusing though like how it ended. did her boyfriend leave her cause she was going to see the client who blew her off? & the books they kept talking about was that astrology im assuming or something else? ( sorry I have a very short attention span & tend to miss alot of parts of movies, as I do not normally watch them )
"Odd" is the word that comes to mind when thinking of this film.
It's more docu-style than film. It was filmed chronologically in 18 days between two other shoots SS had going on and it does come across as a rush job. It was a mash up of various different types of escorts catering to various types of client rolled into one. The whole thing was just odd.
WTF's Avatar
  • WTF
  • 02-28-2011, 06:19 AM
I liked it.


Sasha won an oscar my'er weiner for her part

I didn't care for it...seemed a bit to bland for my taste
LynetteMarie's Avatar
It looks at least worth checking out Originally Posted by Curious_Cat
It's not. I promise. Originally Posted by Natalie
LOL, while I agree with Natalie, I usually watch movies that depict the lives of escorts/sex workers/patrons just for sh?ts and giggles. Okay...and also to get an idea of how the industry is being portrayed to the general public (i.e. people who have never used the services of sws or worked as one) as far as stereotypes and stigmas go.

When my mother met a few of my friends who work as sex workers (web cam, escorts and fetish models) at a potluck I held about a year ago, she made a comment to me later that night that went something like, "Wow, they all have educations and seem so smart. It's not like what they show on TV."




I also found this movie odd, especially in the way it was filmed.
Has anyone seen this 2009 indie, directed by Steven Soderbergh? Looks interesting.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103982/

It looks at least worth checking out, unless people here tell me it's awful and a waste of time. That said -- I'm very new to the demimonde, but I was reading this review by Roger Ebert (whose reviews I generally like and trust; I'm old enough to remember the days of "Siskel and Ebert") -- http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/...IEWS/905209991 -- and I was wondering if anyone else found these couple of paragraphs (describing the movie in particular, although they might arguably be taken to describe clients of high-end providers in the real world more generally?) hitting a little uncomfortably close to home, as I did:

Ummmmm, ouch? Originally Posted by Curious_Cat
I liked Roger's comments on the movie. I actually liked the movie although I felt it was a bit slow paced and anticlimatic. However, its one of the more reality based films I have seen on the subject. But she was so very dissconnected with her clients, with everyone for that matter. I tend to think most companions are not like that (I would not think you would have a lot of long term friendships if you were.)

And why is it that every "hooker" dates a personal trainer, waiter, or mechanic (insert any other non professional occupation here) in these movies? And I hate to put this out there (and this could be a whole new thread) but I see it in my life too. I meet so many women who go to 5 star hotels and restaurants only to come home to a guy in a apron or jumpsuit.
I kind of liked the "secret diary of a london call girl" written after Experiences by the famous Belle de Jour Brooke Magnanti. Its nice and funny and realistic, although the main actress is portrayed a bit snobbish :-). But its lovely.
LOL, while I agree with Natalie, I usually watch movies that depict the lives of escorts/sex workers/patrons just for sh?ts and giggles. Okay...and also to get an idea of how the industry is being portrayed to the general public (i.e. people who have never used the services of sws or worked as one) as far as stereotypes and stigmas go.

When my mother met a few of my friends who work as sex workers (web cam, escorts and fetish models) at a potluck I held about a year ago, she made a comment to me later that night that went something like, "Wow, they all have educations and seem so smart. It's not like what they show on TV."




Originally Posted by LynetteMarie
Yes i hear you. I experienced the same. While i believe that there are not very intelligent escorts out there as well, in my own experience i have seen that most escorts are generally higher educated than regular people their age and have a lot more experience. While some use that to get an inflated sense of self and loose all contact with reality, defining all their self worth via the guys that book them until the big ego crahs comes when they are replaced by younger ones, others indeed do make great careers and stay on the ground and make something out of their life and use escorting to get their goals achieved. At least an escorts life is never boring :-)
Naomi4u's Avatar
I kind of liked the "secret diary of a london call girl" written after Experiences by the famous Belle de Jour Brooke Magnanti. Its nice and funny and realistic, although the main actress is portrayed a bit snobbish :-). But its lovely. Originally Posted by ninasastri
I loved it!
I kind of liked the "secret diary of a london call girl" written after Experiences by the famous Belle de Jour Brooke Magnanti. Its nice and funny and realistic, although the main actress is portrayed a bit snobbish :-). But its lovely. Originally Posted by ninasastri
I love it too!....Did you know season for has already started in the UK?....You can go to itv.com to watch them!