Shopgirl
—1. Overview (multimedia)
—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)
—3. Reviews and Blogs
—4. Cast and Crew
—5. Photo Pages
—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—7. Posters (Steve Martin)
—8. Production Notes (pdf)
—9. Spiritual Connections
—10. Presentation Downloads
In Shopgirl we see a young woman hungry to be loved. Mirabelle is living in the isolation of Los Angeles – surrounded by people, but in contact with no one. Even her job provides little contact, working at the glove section of Saks Fifth Avenue, where no one ever stops; who wears gloves anymore?
She meets Jeremy, a slacker her own age, at a laundromat. They end up on what may be the worst date in history. But out of desperation, Mirabelle calls him up to get together again.
Soon, Ray Porter, a well to do (very well to do) older man, begins to court Mirabelle. He sends gifts, invites her to trendy restaurants and charms her. Soon, Mirabelle has fallen for Ray and is beginning to think of a future with him.
In some ways, Shopgirl seeks to fall somewhere between a fantasy and a fairy tale. Visually, we are shown bright stars over LA, one of which is a window into Mirabelle’s bedroom. Also, when the wind blows, it’s not leaves blowing around, it’s rose petals. But that sense of fantasy never quite takes hold. The story stays a bit too grounded in reality to really be the kind of fantasy it wants to be. But to appreciate the film, you need to have that sense of fantasy.
Mirabelle finds herself between the two poles of Ray and Jeremy. Ray is wealthy, sophisticated, experienced and has life (and himself) under control. Jeremy is broke, uncouth, ignorant about life and goes along with whatever happens to him. There is an interesting visual comparison of these men as the camera switches back and forth between the two of them as they each eat their dinner alone at home using chopsticks. Ray masterfully eats his take out from Spago, while Jeremy uses his chopstick to stab his fries from McDonalds.
enlargeAs the film plays out, we discover that Ray, as controlled as he is, keeps his emotions in check. He does not love Mirabelle the same way she loves him. In fact, it’s hinted that he’s really emotionally unable to let himself love. He substitutes expensive and very thoughtful gifts for that which is truly valuable.
Jeremy, on the other hand, has nothing to offer to Mirabelle (other than being someone to break her desperate loneliness.) Certainly he can’t buy her anything (although he offers to name a font after her.) He also doesn’t have much personally to offer. He has loser written all over him. He has no dreams, no self-confidence, and apparently not much future.
The film offers a look at what it is that makes up the way we share our love. Mirabelle, when she has sex with Jeremy early on is doing it not out of love, but out of desperation. She just wants arms that will hold her afterwards. With Ray, she gives herself fully out of love. But she understands her giving of her body as a gift far more valuable than Ray understands it to be. Ray tries to substitute things for love. Since he can’t love, he’ll buy things.
But the story of Shopgirl is eventually about growth and change. Through her encounter with Ray, Mirabelle learns a great deal about the world and about herself. She gains confidence. She even progresses in her art. (The creation of her artwork through the film is a very interesting visual experience. It never seems to be anything at all. It is until we see the finished product that we recognize what she’s been doing.)
At the same time, Jeremy is undergoing a transformation. He doesn’t plan it. Somebody just sticks a meditation CD in the player. He goes with whatever happens, so he soaks that in. Through a variety of self-help lessons that others are doing, he manages to begin to become the kind of man that could well fill the void in Mirabelle’s life. He is as free with sharing himself as Ray is of sharing money.
The tragedy of the film is Ray. He doesn’t manage to grow through all of this. At best, he realizes how much he has lost by not being able give his love. For all the trappings of wealth that fill his life, we see him as truly poor.
The film has its faults. As I mentioned above, the sense of fantasy is not effectively established. Also, the storyline of Jeremy’s metamorphosis is somewhat underdeveloped. The film really doesn’t try to plumb the depths of the issues that come into play.
But in spite of its faults, Shopgirl was an enjoyable film that has kept me thinking about it afterwards. The visuals really play an important part in the story, from the blowing rose petals to the strange stairs going to her apartment which show us just how isolated she is.
The film gives us a chance to consider a bit of the nature of love. We see it is more than just availability and companionship (Mirabelle and Jeremy early on). It is more than pleasant, mutually enjoyable sex (Mirabelle and Ray throughout their time together). It is more than things that can be given (as close as Ray is able to come). The bond that two people share through love is much harder to understand. At the end of the film, we have hope that such a bond will come to be. We also have the sorrow of knowing that Ray may never find that bond.
—Overview
—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)
—3. Reviews and Blogs
—4. Cast and Crew
—5. Photo Pages
—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—7. Posters (Steve Martin)
—8. Production Notes (pdf)
—9. Spiritual Connections
—10. Presentation Downloads
In Shopgirl we see a young woman hungry to be loved. Mirabelle is living in the isolation of Los Angeles – surrounded by people, but in contact with no one. Even her job provides little contact, working at the glove section of Saks Fifth Avenue, where no one ever stops; who wears gloves anymore?She meets Jeremy, a slacker her own age, at a laundromat. They end up on what may be the worst date in history. But out of desperation, Mirabelle calls him up to get together again.
Soon, Ray Porter, a well to do (very well to do) older man, begins to court Mirabelle. He sends gifts, invites her to trendy restaurants and charms her. Soon, Mirabelle has fallen for Ray and is beginning to think of a future with him.
In some ways, Shopgirl seeks to fall somewhere between a fantasy and a fairy tale. Visually, we are shown bright stars over LA, one of which is a window into Mirabelle’s bedroom. Also, when the wind blows, it’s not leaves blowing around, it’s rose petals. But that sense of fantasy never quite takes hold. The story stays a bit too grounded in reality to really be the kind of fantasy it wants to be. But to appreciate the film, you need to have that sense of fantasy.
Mirabelle finds herself between the two poles of Ray and Jeremy. Ray is wealthy, sophisticated, experienced and has life (and himself) under control. Jeremy is broke, uncouth, ignorant about life and goes along with whatever happens to him. There is an interesting visual comparison of these men as the camera switches back and forth between the two of them as they each eat their dinner alone at home using chopsticks. Ray masterfully eats his take out from Spago, while Jeremy uses his chopstick to stab his fries from McDonalds.
enlargeAs the film plays out, we discover that Ray, as controlled as he is, keeps his emotions in check. He does not love Mirabelle the same way she loves him. In fact, it’s hinted that he’s really emotionally unable to let himself love. He substitutes expensive and very thoughtful gifts for that which is truly valuable.
Jeremy, on the other hand, has nothing to offer to Mirabelle (other than being someone to break her desperate loneliness.) Certainly he can’t buy her anything (although he offers to name a font after her.) He also doesn’t have much personally to offer. He has loser written all over him. He has no dreams, no self-confidence, and apparently not much future.
The film offers a look at what it is that makes up the way we share our love. Mirabelle, when she has sex with Jeremy early on is doing it not out of love, but out of desperation. She just wants arms that will hold her afterwards. With Ray, she gives herself fully out of love. But she understands her giving of her body as a gift far more valuable than Ray understands it to be. Ray tries to substitute things for love. Since he can’t love, he’ll buy things.
But the story of Shopgirl is eventually about growth and change. Through her encounter with Ray, Mirabelle learns a great deal about the world and about herself. She gains confidence. She even progresses in her art. (The creation of her artwork through the film is a very interesting visual experience. It never seems to be anything at all. It is until we see the finished product that we recognize what she’s been doing.)
At the same time, Jeremy is undergoing a transformation. He doesn’t plan it. Somebody just sticks a meditation CD in the player. He goes with whatever happens, so he soaks that in. Through a variety of self-help lessons that others are doing, he manages to begin to become the kind of man that could well fill the void in Mirabelle’s life. He is as free with sharing himself as Ray is of sharing money.
The tragedy of the film is Ray. He doesn’t manage to grow through all of this. At best, he realizes how much he has lost by not being able give his love. For all the trappings of wealth that fill his life, we see him as truly poor.
The film has its faults. As I mentioned above, the sense of fantasy is not effectively established. Also, the storyline of Jeremy’s metamorphosis is somewhat underdeveloped. The film really doesn’t try to plumb the depths of the issues that come into play.
But in spite of its faults, Shopgirl was an enjoyable film that has kept me thinking about it afterwards. The visuals really play an important part in the story, from the blowing rose petals to the strange stairs going to her apartment which show us just how isolated she is.
The film gives us a chance to consider a bit of the nature of love. We see it is more than just availability and companionship (Mirabelle and Jeremy early on). It is more than pleasant, mutually enjoyable sex (Mirabelle and Ray throughout their time together). It is more than things that can be given (as close as Ray is able to come). The bond that two people share through love is much harder to understand. At the end of the film, we have hope that such a bond will come to be. We also have the sorrow of knowing that Ray may never find that bond.
—Overview
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