Shopgirl (2005)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Trailer-Ice Age 2, The Family Stone, Walk The Line, Date Movie Web Links
Rating
Year Of Production	2005
Running Time	102:09
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Anand Tucker
Studio Distributor	Twentieth Century Fox	Starring	Steve Martin Claire Danes Jason Schwartzman Bridgette Wilson Sam Bottoms Frances Conroy Rebecca Pidgeon Samantha Shelton Gina Doctor Clyde Kusatsu Romy Rosemont Joshua Snyder Rachel Nichols
Case	?
RPI	$39.95	Music	Barrington Pheloung

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

Steve Martin, like many comedians before him, is a multi talented man and in Shopgirl (2005), Martin sets up an intimate tale between two people of opposite worlds. Based on his novella of the same name, the film is narrated by Martin, not as a character but as a voice who introduces us to a fairytale world of Los Angeles where the oddly but beautifully named Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes) sets out to live her dream as an artist. Mirabelle instead became lost in the big city and is now the glove saleswoman in the glamorous top level of the luxurious Saks department store. Every day our heroine is surrounded by wealth and glamour but as we follow her through her life we realize she is confined to a small degrading apartment in which the only other inhabitant is an absent cat and she needs antidepressants to face each waking day. Nevertheless she meets Jeremy Kraft (an illuminating Jason Schwartzman) who tells Mirabelle he is an okay guy. Despite the obvious differences between the two, she who is looking for companionship and he who is looking for any type of connection, they go on one unsuccessful date. He later that night claims to love Mirabelle; she in turn hopes never to see him again. Jeremy, spurred on by one of Mirabelle’s encouraging comments, decides to set out to do 'something' and he leaves LA.

Mirabelle on one of her usual days is approached by the nervous Ray Porter (Steve Martin) who buys a pair of glamorous gloves from her. He later sends the same gloves to her as a gift and asks if she would attend a date with him. She accepts and the two begin a relationship despite their age difference. Mirabelle begins to feel happiness; she smiles, looks after herself and enjoys her time with Porter who showers her with exquisite gifts. Everything she ever wanted in a relationship seems to be through the intellectual, emotional and physical relationship with Porter but then Mirabelle begins to have doubts and begins an emotional downward spiral caused by an honest revelation by Porter. At the same time Jeremy returns, a new man who wants to dedicate his life to Mirabelle even if it is as a friend. Mirabelle is left at a crossroads between the two men - one who can offer her everything while the other offers devotion, and both offer love in their own ways. Mirabelle is forced to make a choice which she delicately sums up as “So, I can hurt now, or hurt later.”

Claire Danes is phenomenal in the role of Mirabelle. She brings warmth to this detached character. Martin is equally excellent as Porter, a man I imagine to be a shade of the real Martin. Schwartzman always provides a whimsical eccentricity to his on-screen characters and Kraft is equally one of a kind, but many critics found the character nothing more than comic relief. I cannot agree with this as I think his character is necessary to help us understand Mirabelle’s isolated existence and the indifference she feels. Shopgirl (2005) is intimate as it is focused on 3 or so locations and the film is directed by Anand Tucker who lets us get inside the head of Mirabelle with complete focus on her expressions through the excellent use of slow motion. Shopgirl (2005) is a commendable film, it is not a romantic comedy but rather a whimsical tale of a woman torn between two very different men. It is intimate and driven by excellent performances by the cast and draws parallels with Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003).

Video

The flawless transfer in presented in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and is 16x9 enhanced. There is no indication of colour bleeding or MPEG compression artefacting. Instead, the picture is clean, clear and the colour is excellent. Shadow detail is also commendable. Flesh tones are excellent and the film is encoded at an average bitrate of 6.58 Mpbs. Subtitles are true to the on-screen dialogue.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

The English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is also commendable and is an encompassing experience. The dialogue is crisp and audible and while the soundtrack is not an intrusive bass-laden one, it pleasantly accompanies the languid serene mood of the film. The melancholy soundtrack is composed by Barrington Pheloung with the use of songs from Mark Kozelek.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
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Trailer

Ice Age 2, The Family Stone, Walk The Line, Date Movie

Web Links

The R1 release includes:

• Audio commentary by director Anand Tucker.
• "Evolution Of A Novella: The Making Of Shopgirl" - featurette (21.44)
• Deleted Scenes: (6.07)
• Sneak Peeks: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest", "Casanova", "Annapolis", "Eight Below", "Grey's Anatomy: Season One", "Shadows In The Sun", "Everything You Want" and "Gilmore Girls".

Shopgirl is an admirable film filled with excellent performances and direction. The film is very well presented but the bare-bones disc is a disappointment.

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Plot
Overall