MOVIE REVIEW 'Shopgirl' shows glimmers of depth

Mirabelle must choose between an oddball her own age and an older man.
By CARLA MEYER
SACRAMENTO BEE
Much like Steve Martin's character, "Shopgirl" blandishes with pretty things and convincing emotion even as it shies away from committing.
Written for the screen by Martin from his novella and directed by Anand Tucker, "Shopgirl" starts on the surface and ends on the surface, with intriguing moments of depth in between. Claire Danes, however, is consistently wonderful, traveling from lonely to conflicted to emboldened as Mirabelle Buttersfield, a struggling artist working behind the glove counter at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.
At the film's start, this sensible young woman from Vermont is starting to despair that she will not find companionship in Los Angeles. She can't even coax her cat to emerge from under the bed to greet her when she comes home to her modest apartment. Soon, however, Mirabelle attracts two suitors: elegantly dressed computer-industry professional and silver fox Ray Porter (Martin) and scruffy but age-appropriate amplifier salesman Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman).
Making the choice
Steve Martin or Jason Schwartzman? As first presented, the answer is "neither, thanks." Since both characters definitely have their drawbacks, the choice seems to come down to whether Mirabelle prefers a mass of chest hair in white or the original black.
But the choice becomes too clear too soon, as "Shopgirl" takes pains to show the gulf between rich and poor in Los Angeles. In this case, the gulf is represented by Griffith Park, separating Mirabelle's aging Silver Lake apartment from Ray's nifty concrete-and-glass pad in the hills. Closer to Mirabelle's apartment is Jeremy's even smaller place, where he sits in his boxers, Cheetos strewn about.
Director Tucker and production designer William Arnold lend such appealing gloss to the monied side of LA, from Ray's house to the interior of Saks to the restaurant where Ray first takes Mirabelle, that anything less seems unattractive. A stylish young woman in vintage floral dresses, Mirabelle came to Los Angeles seeking sophistication, not a Dutch date to an IMAX movie, which is what Jeremy offers.
Since Jeremy is a bit of an oddball, and made more so by Schwartzman's overly gesticulatory performance, he suffers in comparison to the older guy. We can see on Danes' vivid face that Mirabelle regards Jeremy as sweet but immature, whereas she's intrigued and flattered by Ray's attention. Not to mention his expensive gifts.
The cold truth
Mirabelle, however, lacks the romantic savvy to know what a man means when he says he wants to keep things casual. Ray tries to break it to her gently, but he's more clear in his therapist's office, where he says he's only in it for sex. But there are more sides to Ray, and to Mirabelle. Martin shows how this man, so careful to keep his dates at a remove, is falling for this bright, attractive young woman. He's also very kind to Mirabelle when she's in need.
Danes evokes tremendous empathy in scenes where Mirabelle, alone in Los Angeles and fully expecting to handle any trouble she encounters on her own, comes to accept and then expect kindness from Ray. Making Danes appear even more vulnerable in these moments is her rail-thin figure. She seems to be experiencing emaciata thespia, which appears to afflict young actresses upon learning they must do nude scenes.
"Shopgirl" follows Jeremy even when he's away from Mirabelle, assisting a famous band on tour. The band guys love him, and through their eyes, the audience grows to like him as well, coming around to Schwartzman's quirky manner. But he's never as attractive as Ray, who has the added allure of being inscrutable. Jeremy is definitely scrutable.
After working hard to explore emotional truths, the film cops out by wrapping things up too tidily at its conclusion. But we shouldn't have been surprised. "Shopgirl" announced its intentions at the beginning of our relationship. We just didn't want to listen.