Shop Girl

6 out of 7

Steve Martin writes and stars in this story of finding one’s self beyond one’s employment. The film is not so plot driven as it is character driven, with the main character, Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes), serving as chief protagonist.

Mirabelle is from Vermont, but now working as a “shop girl” at Saks in Los Angeles. She meets, at the laundro-mat of all places, Jeremy (Jason Schwartzmann), and has a one-time romantic affair with him. Simultaneous to this meeting, Ray Porter (Steve Martin) woos her with dinner, gifts and a hope of a life she could not otherwise achieve. Jeremy conveniently leaves the scene to tour with a rock band (in some form of a glorified roadie role) for four months. During this time, Mirabelle and Ray’s relationship sees its ups and downs, including a meaningless affair Ray has (and immediately admits to) with a former flame. Mirabelle and Ray’s relationship ends in time for Jeremy to re-enter, which is convenient for Mirabelle and the story in general.

Her time with Ray taught her a number of lessons, including a reliance on herself that does not exist at the film’s beginning. Through this new-found identity, Mirabelle feels empowered to leave the counter of Saks for – and this isn’t all that glorious, but thank goodness, for it is much more realistic – the help desk at a museum. This job, though, permits her contacts with the art world and the film ends with Ray providing some form of a benediction on their relationship at the opening night of her art display, where she stands boldly and proudly along side her charcoal drawings with her new lover (and, the film I believe would have us understand, her true lover), Jeremy.

Steve Martin’s role is an interesting note in the film, as he is writer, actor and narrator. This cacophony of voices creates some confusion (or paradox, if you’re a post-modern fan) as to who he is when he’s narrating. If he’s Ray, then the film stinks. If he’s the writer, then why does it have to be his voice (writers are typically content making a narrator that says what they want them to say, but doesn’t force them to be the one to say it)? If it is an independent narrator, then who is this person and why use Steve Martin’s voice? An answer is not immediately forthcoming and maybe that’s for the best. This review, at least, would be much shorter without this quirk to the story.

Shop Girl is in that same vein as Bill Murray’s recent work, particularly, Lost in Translation and Broken Flowers. There maybe a Master’s Thesis in trying to understand why the greatest comedians of the last generation are becoming so reflective in their old age, but then again, maybe its as simple as understanding that this is what age does to us all.