Shopgirl

October 21, 2006 - Claire Danes is torn between two lovers in this 2005 film based on a novella by Steve Martin. Martin narrates and stars as one of the two lovers. Jason Schwartzman is the other.

Danes plays Mirabelle Buttersfield, a young woman from Vermont hoping to make a name for herself as an artist in LA. She earns her living by working the glove counter at Saks. That's where she meets the older, wealthier and more sophisticated Ray Porter (Martin). He courts Mirabelle, shows her the finer things in life, and sleeps with her but refuses to become emotionally involved. He has issues.

Ray's appearance puts a quick end to Mirabelle's fledgling relationship with the younger and grungier Jeremy (Schwartzman). They met in a laundromat when he asked to borrow some change. He's quite taken by Mirabelle but doesn't have much to offer. When Ray enters the picture, Jeremy gets pushed aside. He goes on the road with a band then returns to claim Mirabelle.

Overall review: ** I'm writing this about a week after seeing the movie. Maybe that's because the movie and its characters didn't inspire me to write sooner. Everyone seemed to go along to get along. Only Jeremy seemed to have any real passion. Maybe the movie should have been called "Roadie Boy."