DVD | Shop Girl

Rating: M - Contains Sexual Reference.
Duration: 100 mins.
Genre : Romantic Drama.
Actors: Steve Martin, Rebecca Pidgeon, Claire Danes, Frances Conroy, Jason Schwartzman, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Samuel Bottoms.
Release Date: Available now.

Shop Girl is an adaptation of a novella by Steve Martin that looks at the dynamics of a love triangle between a bored salesgirl, a wealthy (older, much older) businessman and a slacker of a young man.

The screenplay was adapted by Steve Martin, who also takes the lead role, and is the narrator, which to be honest, makes for a very disturbing combination.

The story focuses around Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes) who has moved to the big city to find herself, and is now stuck in a boring job at the glove counter as Saks. One night at the Laundromat she meets Jeremy Kraft (Jason Schwartzman) and sparks up a relationship seemingly more out of a desire to know someone, rather than anything remotely close to love.

Then Ray Porter (Steve Martin) comes on the scene, the older man, who woos her with his money and lifestyle.

Of course Mirabelle falls for Ray, but Ray, well he’s only interested in having a non-committal temporary relationship. And what about Jeremy?

Calling Shop Girl a romantic drama is stretching the truth on both points, as the romance is contorted at best, and the drama must be hidden below the surface. What is left is a ponderingly slow look at the pitfalls of supposed modern romance.

Food for thought
Lonely and single can be a scary place in our modern image controlled society, but is finding a companion really the answer?