shopgirl

I recently returned from a showing of Shopgirl at the ArcLight, which you know I've been eager to see. It was fabulous, and I do recommend it. However, two near-fatal flaws in the movie (meaning that if I didn't have preconceived investment in it, I'd have discounted it quite a bit):

1. The score is horrific. The music itself is fine, but it doesn't belong in this movie! I felt like I was watching a futuristic sci-fi thriller (think Gattaca), and actually elements of the aesthetic sort of gave me that feel (let's just say the night sky was a lot clearer than it really is in Los Angeles).

2. Steve Martin's voiceover narration is completely unnecessary and it hurts the work. Nothing he says isn't said with images--and better.

But I have to say that thank god it took forever for the film to come out because that allowed me to see it in Los Angeles. I can't even describe how geekily happy it made me feel to watch a movie that was filmed in my neighborhood (Silver Lake, duh). Seriously, so many places I pass on a daily basis. While I never even noticed it, I drive past Mirabelle's apartment complex all the time (it's on my route to Trader Joe's). The uniqueness of the building (horribly designed from a circulation standpoint--sort of the dingbat from hell) isn't apparent from the street facade.