Shopgirl

Who’d have thought Martin, known (aside from his acting) for his smart, snarky ”New Yorker” pieces, would pen a tender love story? In Shopgirl, a shy, chemically depressed, artistically inclined saleswoman at Neiman Marcus dates a dork, then a millionaire, then returns to the dork, whose business success has helped him evolve from ”ape to man.”

Martin fans will miss the crackling cynicism of ”Pure Drivel,” though ”Shopgirl” does feature some vintage one-liners: ”One sloppy evening of flaccid sex and Jeremy is begging for another soggy dog biscuit.” But once you adjust to his newfound sincerity, Martin’s shift from public follies to private frailties registers as courageous and convincing. If only he’d fleshed out his supporting cast, this would be ”Pure Gold.”