Sitting through the movie Shopgirl was similar to reading the book: it seemed like a good idea at the time, but after the first five minutes, boredom waned in and the premise lost its momentum.
Steve Martin’s attempt to marry witty sarcasm with spurts of serious compassion was utterly confusing. Although his effort was clearly noted, the idea of a man portraying the thoughts and desires of women was quite revolting. What’s worse is that the story never captivated the audience, all the while sitting there, eagerly awaiting the punch line.
With barely any dialogue, the book reads much like a diary. And from the slow, drawn-out scenes in the movie, the audience is left wondering if there’s more significance to what they’re actually seeing.
With characters that seem lost in translation, the plot is made up of a mismatch of personalities that forgoes any chemistry.
Made up of several stereotypical scenarios, Shopgirl lacks the underlying conscience that would make the transition from scene to scene believable.
Though the plot has the potential to come alive like a Jennifer Weiner novel, this novella lacks the counterparts.
When the shop girl, Mirabelle, played by a youthful Claire Danes, tries to adapt to the world around her, her awkward and depressing behavior serendipitously lands her a man – an older man.
And as she stumbles to discover her sense of self, Mr. Ray Porter (played by Martin) clumsily strives to take it away.
As a salute to Martin himself, the movie’s plot is almost identical to his book, complete with verbatim quotes lifted directly off the pages.
Since Martin plays a wealthy, insensitive businessman, it is clear he has much to apologize for in real life. But even when the credits begin to roll, we are still left wondering what the point is.
Depicted as a romantic comedy, Martin sucks the romance right out of the relationship and the so-called “romantic comedy” portrayed throughout is downright laughable.
Don’t waste your time on this flick, and don’t sift half-heartedly through the book either. Instead of belaboring the point of Shopgirl, gather your friends and go shopping instead.
Tara Cesare can be reached at Tarizona22@hotmail.com.
Be the first to comment