Back when Steve Martin was the Funniest Man Alive (circa 1975-79), it would have been impossible to predict the odd twists his career would take. He junked stand-up comedy for Steve Martin movie vehicles, did the experimental “Pennies From Heaven,” embraced toothless family comedy in “Father of the Bride” and “Cheaper By the Dozen,” and wrote his own ambitious plays and film scripts.
| Not wild and crazy: A melancholy romance, based on Steve Martin’s novel about a lonely twenty-something (lovely performance by Claire Danes) and her affair with an older man (Martin). Probably too stately, but it sets a mood.
Rated: R rating is for language, nudity. ton |
His new movie “Shopgirl” might be his most personal project yet. It’s based on a best-selling novel he wrote, and he also penned the screenplay. The subject matter hits a melancholy, quiet chord that must be close to his nature. There is nothing wild and crazy about this movie.
The title character is Mirabelle, played by Claire Danes, a lonely twenty-something who works behind the glove counter at Saks in Beverly Hills. The only blip in her placid life is a clumsy date with Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), an unkempt slacker with good intentions and bad grooming.
Shortly thereafter she meets the impeccably well-groomed Ray Porter (Steve Martin), a wealthy computer magnate who invites her out to dinner. An affair commences. And plays out very slowly.
Under the tasteful direction of Anand Tucker (“Hilary and Jackie”), “Shopgirl” has a stately rhythm. Perhaps too stately. Perhaps too tasteful. The film’s rather pre-ordained outcome isn’t helped by the pacing of a European arthouse picture.
And yet I liked watching this movie anyway. As a writer, Martin’s best creation is easily Mirabelle, whose awkwardness in the world is beautifully captured by Claire Danes. Danes, who was seen last year in “Stage Beauty,” does things with gestures and vocal tones that define Mirabelle’s uncertain way through life.
Schwartzman, the beetle-browed livewire from “Rushmore” and “I (Heart) Huckabees,” sneaks in most of the movie’s energy, and comedy. He can create little bursts of humor in scenes that otherwise feel straightforward.
Martin himself has a few comic moments, such as the spectacle of a middle-aged man trying to get comfortable on the futon in a young woman’s living room. But mostly he’s aiming for the bittersweet quality of middle-period Woody Allen movies. He’s always looked uneasy with plain emotion, and here he actually winces at a few of the more heartfelt moments.
So “Shopgirl” has its bumps, but there’s something about its twilight atmosphere, and Claire Danes’ lovely performance, that caught me right. But you’ll have to be in the right mood for this one.
Claire Danes and Steve Martin star in “Shopgirl.”
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