Chelsea is a hooker. Not a Hollywood hooker with a heart of gold, but a New York hooker who charges $2000 an hour, frequents extremely stylish boutiques and lives with a man who does not seem to mind how she brings money to the family checking account, as long as she keeps it full. That’s the basis of "The Girlfriend Experience," a want-ad code for a professional sexual companionship
Steven Soderbergh, who seems to alternate between often-schlocky moneymakers and excellent small films, falls short in this effort, from a screenplay by Brian Koppelman and David Levien.
Sasha Grey, who works in so-called adult films, or skin flicks, is Chelsea, but she is surprisingly reserved in the sex department. She’s a satisfactory actress, but Soderbergh probably could have found far better ones, though they would bring less publicity and leering, not to mention less promise from the mere mention of her name. Chris Santo is good as her live-in boyfriend, who enjoys the money she brings home.
Unfortunately, we don’t learn enough about Chelsea to make her a sympathetic character, and we don’t see enough of her to make her an exciting one. Ho-hum
At the Tivoli.
-Joe