Irina Palm
by Sam Garbarski
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Jenny Agutter, Kevin Bishop, Marianne Faithfull, Meg Wynn Owen, Miki ManojlovicDirector: Sam Garbarski
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 103 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-08-12
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Strand Releasing
Movie Reviews of Irina Palm
Movie Review: A Story Told by Hand
Summary: 3 Stars
3.5 stars. There have been many British films dealing with the gritty underbelly of the sex trade; despite a plot that would seem to mark this as one of those, this movie is much closer in in spirit to "Shirley Valentine" in its central theme of a woman of a certain age declaring emancipation from her boring and limited provincial existence and finding a late-in-life love in the most unlikely place. Widowed Maggie, desperate to raise cash for medical treatment for her critically ill grandson winds up applying for a 'hostess' position in a SoHo sex club giving hand jobs. Not because she wants this kind of work, but because with no education or job skills, it's all she can get. The owner of the club agrees to give her a trial, and to his surprise, not to mention Maggie's own, she turns out to be a natural at this work, despite her prim demeanor. In short order, Maggie is leading a duel existence: queen of the SoHo sex district by day (and night) as well as unassuming provincial grandmother, taking the train to London every afternoon from her village while trying to avoid detection by her nosy neighbors and her son and daughter-in-law. Maggie's boss renames her 'Irina Palm' and makes her (or rather, her right hand) the centerpiece of his club. At first intending to exploit this sheltered housewife, he winds up discovering tender feelings for his new employee. Those familiar with Marianne Faithfull's storied past as 60's rock icon, girlfriend of Mick Jagger and infamous heroin addict will marvel that she can portray a timid woman of limited life experience just discovering her own identity, but she brings depth and pathos to Maggie's situation, as well as a dry humor. The scenes where Maggie deals with the occupational hazard of '(not tennis) elbow' or tells off her snotty village friends after they find out what she's been up to are delightful. I had expected a much darker and more exploitative tale, given the subject matter, but "Irina Palm" turned out to be an oddly lighthearted and life-affirming venture into cinema.
Summary of Irina Palm
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.Art House & International DVD Video
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