Release Date: 08/12/2008
Label/Distributor: Strand
Rating: R (Restricted)
Retail Price: $27.99
Genre: Drama Cast: Jenny Agutter,Marianne Faithfull,Miki Manojlovic,Meg Wynn Owen,Kevin Bishop
Running Time: 103
DVD Video Options: Color,Dolby,DVD-Video,NTSC,Widescreen
DVD Audio Options: English;Original Language
UPC Code: 712267273522
Marianne Faithfull stars as Maggie, a middle-aged widow who, desperate to raise money to pay for her grandson`s medical bills, takes a hostess job in a sex club. She soon transforms herself into the much sought after and highly paid Irina Palm, the best right hand in London. Along with her new persona, Maggie gains renewed self-confidence, realizing she is not as old and unattractive as she thought. But her two worlds collide as her clandestine existence provokes the suspicions of her family and inquisitive neighbors alike.
Irina Palm
By Ed Grant -- Video Business, 7/21/2008
STRAND |
Street: Aug. 12
Prebook: now
> Marianne Faithfull stars in chick flick about maternal sacrifice.
The plot of this most unusual tearjerker revolves around an act that can’t be shown in a mainstream film. A kindly grandmother (Marianne Faithfull) raises money for her grandson’s medical treatment by becoming a sex worker at a nightclub where she manually “services” the clients—thus her nickname, which doubles as the film’s title. Though director Sam Garbarski resorts to properly placed items and oblique camera angles to conceal the act from view, the film succeeds in spite of this rather ridiculous bit of self-censorship, thanks to Faithfull’s sincere performance (which relies, as ever, on her unforgettably smoky voice) and the predictable, yet touching story line.
Shelf Talk: Regardless of its super-sleazy premise, this is a hardcore chick flick, with its theme of maternal sacrifice and slower, reflective sequences intended to elicit tears. As a notable ’60s survivor, Faithfull will most definitely attract viewers who have enjoyed her Weill-meets-Jagger live cabaret performances.
Drama, color, R (mature themes, sexual situations, brief nudity, language), 100 min., DVD $27.99Extras: none
Director: Sam Garbarski
First Run: L, March 2008, <$1 mil.
