The latest buzz at this year’s Sundance Film Festival centers around Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming movie, “The Girlfriend Experience.” The film has gotten tons of attention since it was announced, for two reasons. It’s a peek into the exclusive, mostly unseen world of high-end escorting. And, its star is Sasha Grey, a 20-year-old adult film star. This week, “The Girlfriend Experience” made its debut at the festival, and the reviews range from positive to mixed. Defamer reports: “[A]s Soderbergh films go, it’s in the austere league of ‘Bubble’ and ‘Che,’ likely to confound the average moviegoer and irritate the eager pornhound Grey-ophile — which is kind of how we like him.” Even though it stars a porn star, the movie features no explicit sex, nor, opines Defamer, “any sexiness whatsoever.” Other critics describe “GFE” as “not-half-bad,” “a nuanced character study,” and “fascinating.”
