Film Review: The Girlfriend Experience

Director Steven Soderbergh’s latest foray into gonzo filmmaking is a success.

“Girlfriend Experience” refers to one of the choices available to a man procuring the services of a high- end call girl.  In Soderbergh’s film, penned by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, we experience 5 days in the life of a $2,000/hour Manhattan prostitute who thinks her life is completely under her thumb.  Using a minimalist approach, the film becomes a idiosyncratic character study of how money controls and turns human emotion upside down.  Sasha Grey, a veteran porn star, effortlessly plays the lead without having to stretch very far.  Shot on DV, the film has a documentary quality which makes it feel depressingly real.  In the spirit of the New French Wave, Soderbergh’s film is a triumph and a refreshingly different kind of filmmaking when compared to the tentpole, franchise pics that dominant the screens in the Summer of 09.

“The Girlfriend Experience” will run in Las Vegas at the Palms Brenden Theaters starting on May 29th for two weeks.  Speaking of Las Vegas, don’t forget the 11th Annual Cinevegas Film Festival .  This year’s line-up looks particularly strong and is programmed and artistically directed   by Trevor Groth, who now is the Director of Programming at the Sundance Film Festival where he has worked for the past 17 years.

The 11th Annual CineVegas Film Festival will be held June 10 – 15, 2009 at the Palms Casino Resort and Brenden Theatres in Las Vegas. The CineVegas Film Festival is a platform for artists and art lovers who are drawn to the edge. Held amidst the unique, unpredictable and intoxicating environment that is Las Vegas, the CineVegas Film Festival pushes the boundaries of cinema. Check for great hotel and airline flight deals!

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