2009 / Steven Soderbergh > The big question everyone will be asking is, “Can Sasha Grey act?” Sad to say, the pornographic star’s crossover role has such a limited emotional palette that it’s hard to tell. Her character is the subdued type, quiet and reserved except for bursts of emotion inflicted at a loved one. And the story itself is Pretty Woman with a tinge of cynicism. Credit to Soderbergh for giving the girl a chance (as I’d love to see her do more work outside of the realm of the skin and saliva), and for fleshing up the sights of Lower Manhattan true to life. But from those basics, the film is a study of the world’s oldest profession in its modern setting without really bringing anything we didn’t already know. Were it a character piece, I could understand, but even that doesn’t seem to really fit into the details of the script. Even the stints at social commentary via the clientele’s morning shoptalk is too lackadaisical to derive some level of interest.