Irina Palm
Maggie, a 50-year-old widow, is looking desperately for money to pay for a last-chance treatment for her dying grandson. Having tried almost everything, Maggie drifts aimlessly through the streets of Soho in London.
A poster in front of "Sexy World" catches her eye: "Hostess wanted." Too dazed, desperate and naive to realize what she's doing, she enters the club. Miki, Sexy World's cynical owner, can't believe his eyes. Intrigued, he decides to have some fun and offers her a job.
Working under the pseudonym of "Irina Palm," Maggie applies herself in order not to lose her job.
Member Reviews
A wonderful helping hand - swissguy
I really enjoyed this movie. Marianne Faithfell's acting was wonderful. She portrayed the star of the movie, Maggie, with such dignity, quiet resolve and kindness of heart that I could not help but fall in love with her. Maggie is the grandmother of a boy who is dying of cancer and her son and daughter in-law need money to help pay to get the boy to Australia for surgery. They can't get money because they have exhausted their collateral and savings. Maggie decides to get a job to get money. She is told that as a middle aged woman with no prior experience she won't find anything. She mistakenly applies for a job at a strip/sex club and lands a job as a professional wanker. The film is so endearing in that she deals with this job with such dignity. All the performers are great and most of the film manages to steer away from stereotypical situations except in a few instances. One that stood out for me was her son who once or twice was made to react in, what I thought was, far too stereotypical of a way and which, to me, took away from the film's authenticity and openness. All in all, though, a heartwarming wonderful movie about a woman with a totally kind heart.A pleasant find - Steady
Marianne Faithfull doesn't take a lot of movie roles but she does choose well. I can't imagine many actresses pulling off this difficult role as well as she does.
Some of the subject matter may be disturbing to some viewers since it involves the sex-trade but that is secondary to the main plot of how far will a grandmother go to save the life of her grandson. And how will family members react if they find out how she same up with the money necessary for her grandson's operation.
You could say she keeps business at "arm's length" for a time and then a curious son and some plot twists liven things up.
Well worth seeing.Nice and Odd - ForTheLoveofArt
A weird lovely film. I was curious about Marianne Faithfull.
A grandmother's love to help her dying grandson who with no skills and considered by most as too old to train, end up working in a sex shop.
Faithfull is solid and convincing as a caring grandmother and one who has suffered and sacrificed a great deal for her own son on his family.
Try it.
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A wonderful helping hand - swissguy
I really enjoyed this movie. Marianne Faithfell's acting was wonderful. She portrayed the star of the movie, Maggie, with such dignity, quiet resolve and kindness of heart that I could not help but fall in love with her. Maggie is the grandmother of a boy ...A pleasant find - Steady
Marianne Faithfull doesn't take a lot of movie roles but she does choose well. I can't imagine many actresses pulling off this difficult role as well as she does.
Some of the subject matter may be disturbing to some viewers since it involves the sex-trade ...Nice and Odd - ForTheLoveofArt
A weird lovely film. I was curious about Marianne Faithfull.
A grandmother's love to help her dying grandson who with no skills and considered by most as too old to train, end up working in a sex shop.
Faithfull is solid and convincing as ...