Shopgirl

Waiting for a movie with Claire Danes can be as tormenting as waiting for one with Jodie Foster. But as with Foster it is always worth the wait and for some reason with Claire they always come in groups. I am not a Steve Martin fan so I'm never looking forward to him in anything and in a drama I was a bit worried. I was pleasantly surprised though. Perhaps it's because he wrote the novella and the screenplay so he was very in touch with the character. Whatever it was I don't know if anyone else would have done justice to the role. Jason Shwartman was very good in his role.

While their performances were good and exactly what the movie needed it really lived and died on Claire's performance. No way this movie gets the attention it is if not for Claire. Doesn't matter who it was really if she had phoned in even a single moment the film was in trouble. Claire didn't and if anyone doesn't understand why she's getting all the buzz it's as simple as this, in subtlety does Claire's greatness lie. It is not just in this film that that is true. Claire's true greatness has always been in what she brings to the small often silent moments of her projects. Anyone episode of My So-Called Life will prove that.


Spoiler time:


The part when he was talking to his therapist and her to her friends about their relationship was really great. It was very intersting to see a scene that shows so perfectly how completely different two people can hear something. It was very funny how he thought what he said was so clear and to the point when it wasn't and how much more she read into it. Perspective really is everything at any given moment in a relationsip.

Along those same lines it was a nice character turn for him in that even though he didn't want anything to serious and committed he still felt torn by certain things. And clearly felt that their relationship was a little more than what he initially thought or he wouldn't have felt the need of telling her about sleeping with that other woman over Thanksgiving.

Jason's goofiness was refreshing for the film. When he was out on the road with the band and still couldn't stop being weird was great. A lot of times in movies he would have come back this whole different person who was all mature and groan up. Basically the younger version of Steve's character. I liked that, that didn't happen. Sure he had his moment when he ran into her in the parking lot in his suit but that was really just a mask. He was still the guy whose really awkward around woman and never manages to say the right thing but isn't ever saying the wrong thing either.


This movie was worth the full price I paid and then some.