(Credit: Amazon.com)
Directed by
Anand Tucker
Cast:
Steve Martin …. Ray Porter
Claire Danes …. Mirabelle Buttersfield
Jason Schwartzman …. Jeremy Kraft
Bridgette Wilson …. Lisa Cramer
Sam Bottoms …. Dan Buttersfield
Frances Conroy …. Catherine Butterfield
Rebecca Pidgeon …. Christie Richards
Samantha Shelton …. Loki
Gina Doctor …. Del Rey
Clyde Kusatsu …. Mr. Agasa
The Movie:
Steve Martin’s been in a lot of stinkers lately. I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering where the man that gave us The Jerk, The Man with Two Brains and Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid went to when dreck like the Cheaper By the Dozen movies or The Pink Panther remake is on screen. Much like Eddie Murphy, this one time brilliant comedian seems to have relegated himself to star in family comedies that are about as funny as talking about gas prices lately.
That’s why it’s so gratifying to finally see Martin in a film that actually has some weight. Similarly to what Bill Murray was able to accomplish when he turned away from silly comedies in favor of more somber, dramatic turns, Martin needs to go headstrong into his serious side. While the actor has had a spotty record in the past with his eloquent efforts in the past, Shopgirl is definitely a welcome change from the actor’s wacky mediocrity as if late. Based on a novella by Martin, and scripted by the actor this is a strong, poignant film with a tenderness that’s hard to deny.
The story centers on Claire Danes’ Mirabelle Buttersfield, a girl from Vermont starting a new life in Los Angeles, but only managing to find work at a Saks Fifth Avenue store. Her introduction constructed by Director Anand Tucker is a wordless montage of her day to day life. This a superb sequence, subtly showing Mirabelle’s inner desire for love without overdoing it, gradually giving way to Steve Martin’s delicate narration.
Potential love shows up in the disastrous Jeremy, played by Jason Schwartzman. Completely inept in his affection of Mirabelle, Jeremy stumbles through their first meeting and uncomfortable first date. This is an almost thankless role in the beginning for Schwartzman, but he plays it bravely, making Jeremy as clumsy as possible both physically and mentally. His evolution as a character is valuable to the movie, as Jeremy goes from almost repulsive klutz to caring inamorato.
Mirabelle does find a mode of happiness with Steve Martin’s Ray Porter, a wealthy divorcee, looking for affection and finding it with the wayward Ms. Buttersfield. Their romance is a gentle one, but Ray keeps her at a bit of a distance. Hoping to keep their relationship from being long term as he feels he’s too old for her, he still shows as much a great amount of warmth toward her while they meet each other’s needs.
This is a setup for a movie with deep emotions that shows that love has a hard time when limits are put on them. Amazingly, the movie avoids many romantic clichés, giving the picture a deeper resonance. Even though all three leads are on the cover, the movie never features a love triangle or really even makes much of a deal about Ray’s age. These are all just people looking to find love and finding the right people at the right time.
Martin should really start taking advantage of roles like this, giving him an opportunity for understated longing that is really affecting. He does get opportunities for small laughs, but never goes overboard, making Ray a very memorable character. There seems to be a real part of Steve Martin in Ray Porter that we’ve never gotten to see before. Navin Johnson may be Martin’s eternal screen role, but maybe its time to put him out to pasture. Not even Bill Murray could be Peter Venkman forever.
I don’t think Claire Danes has ever been better than she is here. She’s beautiful, but not in a manufactured or glamorous sort of way. She’s almost plain, but that’s what makes her seem more real. Danes may not be who comes to mind when you about great actresses, but her emotions seem real enough that she’s able to carry a lot of this film on her shoulders.
Shopgirl is a film that feels a little disjointed towards the beginning, but as it builds steam makes its ride very satisfying. Director Anand Tucker and Composer Barrington Pheloung deftly give the film the right mood by the use of subtle changes in color or the right score music. This is an introspective piece for those looking for a Romantic Comedy, but not looking for tired formula.
Score: 8.5/10
The DVD:
The Video
This is a film that gracefully contains beautiful images. The print here is good enough that you can pinpoint the film’s acute changes in color. The film is presented in Widescreen with and Aspect Ratio of 1.85:1.
The Audio
The sound is also of great quality. Composer Barrington Pheloung has constructed a
beautiful score that hits just the right notes, no pun intended. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio Commentary, Deleted scenes, Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
Audio Commentary by director Anand Tucker – This is an informative track with nice insights on how the novella was adapted for the screen by Steve Martin and himself. There really are some brilliant moments that the two came up with, such as being able to convert Martin’s narration from the novel into subtle gimmicks to the get the points across on screen. Tucker also has great insight into the film’s production and how it had to evolve gradually to make it such a lovely, serene tale.
Evolution of a Novella: The Making of Shopgirl – This is a 17 minute Featurette that looks at how Martin came up with the concepts for the novella and how many things would work for the book, but not for the screen. This isn’t particularly deep, but still interesting.
Deleted Scenes – You get two deleted scenes here. The first one is a clever montage of Mirabelle trying to occupy himself as she waits for Ray to call. The other is a breakfast where the two discuss the nature of their relationship. Both are good scenes, but a bit redundant. The second especially takes away from the ambiguousness of their relationship, so its better that it was left out.
Score: 5.5/10
