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Review: Shopgirl starring Claire Danes, Jason Schwartzman and Steve Martin

I can't compare the movie Shopgirl to the book it is based on because the Arclight reneged on their promise give a free copy to anyone who saw it this weekend. (I don't want back my full $14, but $5 or $6 would be nice.) The set-up for both is presumably the same. A lonely Sak's counter girl (Claire Danes) finds herself the object of affection of two unsuitable suitors, an obsecenely rich logician (Steve Martin) and a free-spirited spaz (Jason Schwartzman). The first two characters remain ciphers in the movie; only Schwartzman breaks his ADD hipster out of the flat movie screen. It's a modern love story; a bit cold, a bit calculating. The heart, lost though it appears at times, seems, when evident, to be in the right place.

So I guess it's a weak endorsement.

A SECOND OPINION: To truly understand Shopgirl, you have to understand Mr. X.

About J. Ott

John Ott is a writer, filmmaker and futurist. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.