Article originally published as THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE Review on Seat42F.
In 2009, Steven Soderbergh released an
interesting little film called THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE. It followed a
high-class escort named Christine (porn star Sasha Grey) who worked
under the name Chelsea, providing the illusion of a relationship for men
who could pay (a lot) for it. Now Starz, with Soderbergh producing, is
bringing that world to the small screen in a weekly half-hour
(non-comedy) show, premiering this week.
This time around, Riley Keough (Mad Max:
Fury Road) plays Christine / Chelsea. Instead of glimpsing a few select
days, this version of THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE delves into why
Christine would get involved in prostitution in the first place, as well
as how she balances a “normal” life with her nighttime work. It’s a
fascinating character study of a ripe, but little-seen, subject, begging
for a series such as this.
THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE rises and
falls on Keough. Only spending a small amount of the running time with
her clothes off, she has to have acting talent to remain captivating,
something less of a concern in a film. Keough is Elvis’ granddaughter,
and has a sex appeal like the King, but in a more reserved way, which
left me unsure if she was any good or not through at least the first
episode. Yet, the more I watched, the more I was captivated by her
performance, which mixes an almost cold woman in her personal
relationships with someone who craves the attention and power one gets
from selling one’s body. She’s very interesting.
Christine becomes aware of this career
option through her friendship with Avery (Kate Lyn Sheil, House of
Cards), who already has a steady man financing her life. At first, Avery
seems to want to show off and maybe shock Christine a little. But once
Avery introduces Christine to her version of a pimp, Jacqueline
(Alexandra Castillo, The 6th Day), Avery becomes
uncomfortable with how successful Christine becomes, almost overnight,
knocking their pairing out of alignment.
This friendship is a lynchpin in the
early episodes, but seems like it probably won’t be in the near future,
despite Sheil being listed as a main player. The dynamic between Avery
and Christine is a strange one, as much about competition as it is
affection, and with no other friends shown, the more we see of Avery,
the more she seems to reflect something about Christine. I’ll let others
debate if this says something about female bonds in modern society,
simply stating it makes for good TV.
THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE doesn’t stay
confined to the sex trade. We follow Christine to her internship at a
prestigious law firm, where she works for partner David Tellis (Paul
Sparks, Boardwalk Empire). Christine’s relationship with David is a
strange one, too, Christine not seeming to fit into the normal framework
of human interaction, and I can’t help but wonder how soon it will be
before David gets pulled into her after-hours work. It seems an
inevitability to me.
What is compelling about that, though,
is the inclusion of Erin Roberts (Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24) as a core cast
member. Erin works with David, and is nice enough to Christine. But I
can’t see Erin approving of any personal relationship between David and
his underling, and that seems like fertile ground for THE GIRLFRIEND
EXPERIENCE to move to once it gets through the Avery arc.
And this is just skimming the tip of
what this show could be. Delving into the mind of a smart, driven woman
who makes some choices outside of the social norm (and hangs with creepy
older gentlemen) is fascinating stuff, and this show is a lot more than
just a titillating tease. Sure, I assume we’ll get some juicy kink
eventually, but that’s not what the main draw is, and I would recommend
it to anyone, male or female, who likes original quality entertainment.
It’s a very well made show, with atmosphere and pacing that set it
apart.
THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE premieres this
Sunday on Starz, which , for those who have abandoned cable (like
myself), is now available as a subscription through Amazon.
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