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The Girlfriend Experience
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The Girlfriend Experience

2009
Comedy
Drama
1h 17m
A drama set in the days leading up to the 2008 Presidential election, and centered on a high-end Manhattan call girl meeting the challenges of her boyfriend, her clients, and her work.
Directed by:
Steven Soderbergh Steven Soderbergh
Written by:
Brian Koppelman Brian Koppelman David Levien David Levien
+1 more
Starring:
Chris Santos David Levien David Levien Sasha Grey Sasha Grey Peter Zizzo Timothy J. Cox Timothy Davis Jeff Grossman Philip Eytan T. Colby Trane Ron Stein Ron Stein Marshall Gilman Michael Roberts
More
Genres:
Comedy, Drama
AKA:
GfE
Country:
USA
Languages:
English, French
imdb More information at IMDb
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The Girlfriend Experience

2009
Comedy
Drama
1h 17m
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Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 38.24% from 711 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 08 May 2009
7
68th
Much like the trailer, it was interesting and pretty good. I don't know how well it will hold up over time because of all the Obama/McCain talk and all the references to what is going on right now but I still enjoyed it, despite some of it feeling a bit disingenuous. Sasha Grey, who is famous for doing porn, was actually quite good in this. I love how Soderbergh just hops between independent and huge Hollywood movies and I love how he doesn't make us wait and releases a new movie every year.
Rated 08 May 2009
redactedredacted
Rated 23 Jul 2010
77
61st
A tidy stand alone film referencing the fiscal lifestyle of modern America. Each character is more than a person (some would say less) they are a commodity, traded, sold and bought like the gold bullion. Sasha Grey makes her debut in mainstream film sliding into the role of Christine (I would guess a role she hopes she isn't typecast in) seamlessly, promoting the idea of expensive by hiding her astrological beliefs and everyday dreams behind her barely emotive, made-up face.
Rated 23 Jul 2010
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 04 Nov 2009
83
77th
I'm stunned by how many people completely missed the point: that this is a film about the economy. Soderbergh doesn't exactly make it obscure, characters are constantly referencing the economic crisis, the importance of the election, investments, business, and assorted financial transactions. Granted, the ideas could have been better developed, but at least give the man credit for making more than just a "slice of hooker life" movie. I was pretty engaged throughout.
Rated 04 Nov 2009
guy_piranhaguy piranha
Rated 24 Apr 2016
75
81st
soderbergh delivers a sober and factual look on sex, relationships and business in a capitalistic society, the way they inescapably interweave, and how that affects people. i found myself thinking "yup, here's someone who really gets it." funnily enough, as i watched a "classic" sasha grey movie afterwards, i thought exactly the same. if maybe in a different context.
Rated 24 Apr 2016
cinematicespCinematicESP
Rated 07 Jan 2010
39
2nd
A loose plot and nonlinear narrative can't save uninteresting characters. The subject matter is at least intriguing.
Rated 07 Jan 2010
astrakhanastrakhan
Rated 18 Aug 2009
60
6th
The documentary style is quite pointless when your subjects are so devoid of personality and self-conscious about the way they will come across. Probably the most forgettable movie of 2009.
Rated 18 Aug 2009
ytadelYtadel
Rated 27 May 2009
3
28th
I probably found it interesting more than I actually "enjoyed" it. None of the characters had much in the way of personality or backstory or development, and I couldn't have cared less about any scene the protagonist wasn't in.
Rated 27 May 2009
tidusffxTidusFFX
Rated 06 Mar 2010
37
8th
Boring.
Rated 06 Mar 2010
barthalenBarthalen
Rated 27 Feb 2012
74
66th
Cold, distant, sterile, a bit empty. And that's exactly right for the story being told here. The almost-documentary style in which it's presented really worked for me. Main advantage is that it's hard to connect to the characters and their problems when the story jumps to and fro constantly. David Holmes' song 'I Heard Wonders' is goddamn amazing, by the way.
Rated 27 Feb 2012
chemical404chemical404
Rated 13 Dec 2009
36
19th
Low budget, but glossy looking ultra-realistic story of high-end prostitution told in non-linear narrative. Most of the dialogs are improvised, but that isn't excuse good enough to make whining of rich and incredibly shallow characters about economical crisis tolerable. There is no payoff and afterwards the feeling is left, that GfE is something Sodenbergh made in-between real movies to experiment in film making.
Rated 13 Dec 2009
eric_wkEric WK
Rated 09 May 2009
70
58th
Incredibly pretty to look at (this might be the most well shot film Soderbergh has made) and fairly interesting. I think it's the best of his independent, "experimental" films.
Rated 09 May 2009
tvfilm_hubTV+Film-Hub
Rated 08 Feb 2010
0
3rd
Generally artistically lit. That's about the last good thing I can say about it. The audio is annoying, the soundtrack is bad, the acting is bad and seems mostly ad lib.
Rated 08 Feb 2010
petrvyletaPetr.vyleta
Rated 23 May 2011
70
33rd
In its own way, this film is briliant, but I have to admit, it can be pretty boring most of the time. It has its own charm for Sasha Grey though. I am a big fan of her for some time already, if You know what I mean.
Rated 23 May 2011
matthew_parkinsonMatthew Parkinson
Rated 01 Oct 2014
70
77th
There's no end goal. There's no story to finish or ultimate destination to reach. The Girlfriend Experience follows this woman and her clients and then leaves them after 77 minutes are up. You need to be willing to accept its premise and execution if you're going to have any chance of enjoying it. This isn't like most films. It's an experiment with modest ambitions. And I think it's highly successful at doing what it sets out to accomplish. If it sounds interesting to you, I suggest watching it.
Rated 01 Oct 2014
ozonepaulozonepaul
Rated 25 Mar 2013
84
41st
The first ever movie beeing able to pull off the near impossible: beeing great and boring at the same time.
Rated 25 Mar 2013
indyatmnINDYATMN
Rated 05 Jun 2009
73
32nd
Arthouse-slow & rife w/ "Meaning", it begins w/ 2 many scenes that r only interesting as metaphors 4 the current economic crisis, but thankfully moves 2 its characters, addng at least one more facet 2 the realistically opaque escort at its center. It's tough to construct a 90 minute character study around a character that's so cut off from her emotions that she could b a mannequin, but Soderbergh can thank the recent bailouts for bailing him out with more subtext than he'd have otherwise.
Rated 05 Jun 2009
joojooJooJoo
Rated 24 Mar 2012
3
31st
I have no feelings about this.
Rated 24 Mar 2012
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 02 Jan 2010
6
54th
Living in the middle of the financial crisis this film frequently references probably makes it more effective than it might be in, say, 10-20 years but I still enjoyed it all the same. The editing quickly shifts between scenes, the dialogue is always worth a listen, solid acting (Sasha Grey can keep her own) and some nice photography.
Rated 02 Jan 2010
elysian_airElysian Air
Rated 03 Jun 2012
78
50th
Quite simply, this is more of a technical exercise in film theory. Can we detach narrative into vignettes? Can we film Grey as an object? Can we substantiate the collective experience with an objective theme? Is the "Girlfriend Experience" postmodern? Is it a metaphor for film? It's not really aiming to answer these questions (they've already been answered elsewhere) but pose them to us so that they can exist in their own self-contained vacuum. It's interesting in the experimental sense.
Rated 03 Jun 2012
overratedoverrated
Rated 08 Sep 2012
45
40th
Has some relevance in capturing how much pressure everyone was feeling latter half of '08/first half of '09, but the actual story itself & acting from Grey is as cold as a dead trout.
Rated 08 Sep 2012
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 17 Aug 2013
80
37th
As detached as its main character. An interesting experiment - not entirely satisfying, but its cinematography and its time capsule feel (in 40 years, this will be the perfect example of what New York was like back in the day) make it work. Sasha Grey is OK. If her transition to films doesn't work out (and so far, I don't think anyone will say it has), it's at least in part because she's not very good.
Rated 17 Aug 2013
muutanetmuutanet
Rated 08 Jul 2016
17
13th
The series was wrestling in totally different game. Good for them.
Rated 08 Jul 2016
obdurateObdurate
Rated 16 Oct 2009
80
67th
Don't think I'll ever really care to watch this again. It is a very pretty movie and has some really interesting writing. The fact it's really current and deeply buried within this time makes it resonate a bit more. Sure, years from now it might not hold up in that sense but as a glimpse in a period of time, it's fantastic (and that's all I need...). But I really didn't ENJOY the movie as much as I hoped. It was a bit too slow, but it's still definitely a really good movie.
Rated 16 Oct 2009
drstrangeluvdrstrangeluv
Rated 22 Oct 2009
75
66th
One gorgeously shot character piece. A compelling look inside the world of a high-priced call girl, The Girlfriend Experience is a fragmented and most of all, intelligent film. Far better than Soderbergh's wide release offering of 09, The Informant.
Rated 22 Oct 2009
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 14 Nov 2013
70
41st
Not a great film, but interesting low-budget experiments like this are what makes Soderbergh a great filmmaker. The structure is very strange, with an almost hypertextual linkage between non-chronological scenes: if somebody mentions an event or person, it will then cut to a scene about or mentioning that event or person. Most of the enjoyment I got out of this was following Soderbergh's train of thought from scene to scene. Pretty fascinating.
Rated 14 Nov 2013
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 01 Dec 2012
52
9th
Prior to this movie Sasha Grey's most notable acting experience involved an orifice between her legs, and that's really all she's qualified for. I found her character to be as soulless and fickle as one would expect from a porn star, and this movie likewise.
Rated 01 Dec 2012
darkcloudDarkCloud
Rated 23 Dec 2012
75
33rd
If you look past Sasha Grey beyond what she is known for and pay attention to her character and the movie, this movie will stir you up. Firstly, this movie is a joint venture of Soderbergh and Sasha. She plays a high end escort, a character where she blends seamlessly. Her attitude to the profession, her feeling about herself,her insecurity everything play a crucial role.Despite not everyone's cup of tea,this film is brilliant in its technical aspect,camera work and music. Better than I thought.
Rated 23 Dec 2012
andaybandayb
Rated 02 Aug 2015
40
15th
all the while trying to figure out the thinly veiled allegory about the state of the economy, I just couldn't help saying "dude, you don't know where that mouth's been." Flat all around.
Rated 02 Aug 2015
gokcanzgokcanz
Rated 31 Aug 2013
60
34th
* Casting, Acting : 6 * Script : 5 * Directing, Aura : 7 * Ease of Viewing : 6 * Naked Eye : 6
Rated 31 Aug 2013
florvdeFlorVdE
Rated 15 Mar 2015
2
39th
Not bad, but feels long even at 70 minutes. Grey is not able to carry the movie, which makes her casting seem like a gimmick.
Rated 15 Mar 2015
therealj_roTheRealJ-Ro
Rated 16 Oct 2009
80
70th
Put aside the fact that Sasha's got one hell of a "come fuck me" face. I think what you take away from this flick is not so much (or even at all) what happens - the basic "conflict" is, Christine is a deeply spiritual person who lets her spirituality control her, she crosses work and personal life, and it costs her her relationship. You take away the mystique of "Chelsea", you watch her cold exterior continually crack and fracture until there is very little of it left. Compelling and beautiful.
Rated 16 Oct 2009
djrossdjross
Rated 09 Aug 2009
65
71st
There is in most cases an intelligence pervading Soderbergh's movies, which does not always translate into great cinema, but in this case results in an interesting and well-done presentation of a character and a milieu. Rather "Kubrickian."
Rated 09 Aug 2009
rthornhillrthornhill
Rated 27 Jan 2010
79
20th
a very believable albeit not very dramatic "experience"........
Rated 27 Jan 2010
hsncrspywlhsncrspywl
Rated 09 Dec 2014
48
17th
Think of this as a trial run for the mix of sex and economics (and the economics of sex) of Magic Mike. The Girlfriend Experience doesn't have much of a plot - it feels more like small, fly-on-the-wall moments, but the performances lack urgency. Though it's obviously an experiment to get Sasha Grey as the lead many of her lines feel wooden (hey hey!) and by the end of the film, though some parts were interesting and gave insight into a world I've never seen, I was left feeling uninterested.
Rated 09 Dec 2014
jeffvjeff_v
Rated 25 Feb 2010
68
54th
I liked this more than Bubble and Full Frontal, at least. For one thing, it doesn't look like crap, and it's usually artfully framed. Soderbergh also keeps things interesting by jumbling the timeline, allowing the connection from scene to scene to flow more thematically than chronologically.
Rated 25 Feb 2010
jordandcfcJordanDcFc
Rated 14 Jul 2011
70
37th
I really enjoyed this film. Very nice to look at, very well paced, Grey was capable. Could have done with being a bit longer, maybe a bit more flesh around the ankles. The scenes without Grey are pretty dull though.
Rated 14 Jul 2011
naurunauru
Rated 02 Nov 2009
4
1st
The current title is very misleading, and should be changed to "The High-Priced Prostitute Experience". Basically nothing happens besides a lot of vapid people who think very highly of themselves having boring conversations with each other. Who cares. And the lead actress is annoying as hell. 90 minutes I can never get back.
Rated 02 Nov 2009
glm01glm01
Rated 02 Oct 2013
60
22nd
60.000
Rated 02 Oct 2013
coheedCoheed
Rated 09 Aug 2011
30
5th
The film's concept is sound, but the result is a failure. It shoves dialogue sequences where people talk about the economy and the (then current) presidential election down your throat even in the dramatic plotline, but never actually 'talks' about the issues in a way that is of interest or meaningful. Regardless of what anyone thinks of his work, film critic Armond White was completely accurate when he said this was 'recession porn'; it's also completely hollow.
Rated 09 Aug 2011
spunkieSpunkie
Rated 16 Nov 2009
50
40th
Soderbergh's honest attempt at realisticly depicting a modern day relationship is enjoyable the first time, but not memorable due to it's loose narrative and randomness.
Rated 16 Nov 2009
lady_moeLady Moe
Rated 08 Nov 2011
65
23rd
A look at the life of an "escort." A rather interesting idea, in my opinion. Sasha Grey is very natural in the leading role. The film is good but doesn't leave a lasting impression.
Rated 08 Nov 2011
mfidler1mfidler1
Rated 24 Nov 2009
74
45th
I wasnt expecting too much, I heard some good things so I decided to watch it. First, Sasha Grey is actually a pretty good actress. She does a very good job with the role, which required at least some emotional depth--but then again we know she is a movie snob (maybe she picked up a thing or two). The movie in and of itself was okay. I didnt need all of that extra "bad economy" stuff, but I thought the review of her at the end was funny; reminded me of a bad theater review. Just okay film.
Rated 24 Nov 2009
lumpnboylumpnboy
Rated 05 Jul 2012
70
81st
The best film I've seen about sex-work.
Rated 05 Jul 2012
qvtQVT
Rated 09 May 2009
45
53rd
Eh. It's pretty but not a lot of shit happened and i didn't care that much. One of the few movies in which it was okay to not see some titties. Score increased by 10 points due to an angry email received from a deranged walrus.
Rated 09 May 2009
kasperlKasperL
Rated 07 Nov 2011
40
19th
Grey, surprisingly perhaps, does a pretty decent job. With more of a plot this might have been good.
Rated 07 Nov 2011
slantmagSlantMag
Rated 21 Oct 2010
25
61st
"All the world's a financial transaction just waiting to be negotiated in The Girlfriend Experience, a handsome, frosty, rather one-note time capsule from October 2008." - Nick Schager
Rated 21 Oct 2010
armondwhiteArmondWhite
Rated 24 Dec 2010
1
0th
It's a millennial dirge for people who don't know the spiritual/materialist crisis Godard predicted in Nouvelle Vague.
Rated 24 Dec 2010
danastevensdanastevens
Rated 30 Nov 2012
60
44th
Though the result is thematically slight, it's structurally sophisticated enough to reward a second viewing (or at least, unlike Grey's previous work, to be watched all the way through).
Rated 30 Nov 2012
bharathbharath
Rated 16 Sep 2010
75
73rd
The movie is interesting, it is a slow paced movie. The movie's screenplay appears to be like a jigsaw puzzle, when all the pieces fall in place it is better than what you think it is. Sasha Grey surprisingly did a pretty decent job of acting. I guess parts of the script were irrelevant to the movie. Overall an interesting movie technically, not everyone's cup of tea.
Rated 16 Sep 2010
glmglm
Rated 01 Jan 2011
53
18th
52.750
Rated 01 Jan 2011
achayanAchayan
Rated 21 Mar 2012
75
50th
Pretty good story narration and an interesting point of view.
Rated 21 Mar 2012
auritechauritech
Rated 24 Dec 2009
82
79th
Let's get this out of the way: Sasha Grey isn't a "good" actress, but she's cast perfectly in this role. Her detached yet beautiful eyes don't connect to the people hiring her character, and the days drift in and out without seeming connection (which matches with the semi-insequential editing). I prefer Soderbergh at his most experimental, which this certainly qualifies for, and I really enjoyed it. The political subtext was also amusing, but may get dated as time wears on.
Rated 24 Dec 2009
skiewulfyskiewulfy
Rated 28 Jul 2009
45
41st
A fairly ambient piece with a narrative so subdued that one scarcely notices how fractured it is. There's a level of confusion though, that comes with being too laid back to bother introducing characters or provide some basic context for a scene. Its slice of life framework only delves into the life of a call girl at a superficial level, with little conflict and no choices of any consequence being made. All at the same time there's a real unease to the mood that makes it a tough film to revisit.
Rated 28 Jul 2009
dunder74Dunder74
Rated 31 Dec 2012
6
46th
I wish The Girlfriend Experience was longer and a bit more centered. See, Sasha Grey turns out to be an excellent lead, but the scenes that don't involve her feel out-of-place; there were five or six scenes addressing the economic disaster of 2007, incredibly off-putting when the entirety of the film is considered. Soderbergh is stylish in his camerawork, and the film feels "fresh." It just needs a little more of everything that made it enjoyable,
Rated 31 Dec 2012
mistersplicemistersplice
Rated 17 Jan 2011
35
10th
+ not worth your time
Rated 17 Jan 2011
mennowomennowo
Rated 02 Apr 2011
75
44th
Good and interesting film. This gets you thinking: what does it mean to be with a person?
Rated 02 Apr 2011
scrumyummyScrumYummy
Rated 19 Jan 2010
95
98th
A beautiful examination of a character. On the one hand, it's horribly dated; I'm not sure that the 2008 presidential election was such a good thing to focus on in so many points in the film. On the other hand, this serves to build part of the characters and the setting to anyone who is familiar with that time in history.
Rated 19 Jan 2010
brunobambrunobam
Rated 09 Aug 2009
80
66th
A nice soderberg independent movie. I appreciate the way he told this incomum story.
Rated 09 Aug 2009
davidkahaneDavidKahane
Rated 07 Jul 2009
79
62nd
One of the quick-and-dirty efforts Soderbergh intersperses into his filmography. There's a loose plot, but it's primarily there as something to hang ideas on, to show the ways the esteemed and the condemned parts of the social fabric are reflections of one another. As a film, it doesn't really cohere enough to make it feel like much more than an intellectual experiment, but it's also an experiment that's consistently interesting to watch.
Rated 07 Jul 2009
zipsterZipster
Rated 11 Aug 2014
95
92nd
sneaks up on you with a strange sensory impact
Rated 11 Aug 2014
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 16 Oct 2009
75
59th
The plot here is a moot point, rather, this is just a glimpse into a world that few of us are familiar with. Very interesting, but maybe not as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. However, that "glimpse" is so well done with the cinematography in way that it really is made to feel like we are peering over her shoulder. I am always going to wonder what could have been done with a more capable cast and 45 more minutes. Can't decide whether to praise or boo this one yet...
Rated 16 Oct 2009

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