On the surface, it might seem like the short film Miss Freelance shares quite a bit in common with Steven Soderbergh’s 2009 drama The Girlfriend Experience. Indeed both films deal with ladies for hire, who offer much more than just sexual relations to their clients. Both are somber in tone, but in terms of how they explore their themes, they are dissimilar enough for this 19-minute movie to stand on its own two feet.
“…follows Carly for one week as she zooms about the city, entertaining various men who pay her well enough.”
The movie follows Carly (Maddy Murphy) for one week as she zooms about the city, entertaining various men who pay her well enough. Greg (Keith Boratko) is close to her age and makes sure to be seen out in public with her. Maurice (Ivan Greene) needs Carly to comfort him. Ben (Timothy J. Cox) is jealous and increasingly worried, as Carly has not visited him in a week or two.
Written and directed by Matthew Kyle Levine, Miss Freelance proves to be an absolutely absorbing drama. The dialogue is believable and natural sounding. When Ben is expressing his worry and dismay over not knowing what happened to Carly, the heartbreak is genuinely authentic. Levine’s direction is also quite excellent. He takes a somewhat observational approach, but less fly on the wall than that sounds. The camera is never obtrusive, but it stays close to Murphy’s expressive face. This allows for her reactions to register with the audience entirely.
"…In her first credited role, Maddy Murphy is luminous..."
