Title: DANES IS DELIGHTFUL BUT...
Product review: Claire Danes is the saving grace of this rather dull May/December romantic film. She owns the screen and even though her character isn't always admirable, Danes instills her with enough depth to make her sympathetic and believable. Too bad the rest of the movie doesn't match her performance. SHOPGIRL seems to be a real vanity project for its writer and actor Steve Martin. Based on his novella, the story is so sanitized and predictable, and never makes a commitment to being either a comedy or a dramedy. Martin is enjoyable when he's funny, but trying to play a straight role he seems mercilessly miscast. Add a whiny, often obnoxious Jason Schwartzman and you get the ingredients for this soupy tale. The whole thing between Jason and Sampras is wasted film as it does nothing to further or enhance the plot. Even if PINK PANTHER is a bomb, I'll probably enjoy it more because that's what Martin does best.
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