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Personal Services (1987)
6.0
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Comedy-drama, based on the life of notorious brothel madam and bespoke home entertainment provision...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Personal Services (1987) in Movies
Jan 19, 2020
Not many people get a film based on their life while they're still around: prostitute and brothel madam Cynthia Payne had not one but two released in the same year (this and 'Wish You Were Here') - makes one proud to be British. A typical story of rags to riches, embellished with a vast amount of kinky sex and tawdry etablishment hypocrisy - not entirely surprisingly, the women here are the tough and clever ones, the men who come to them are awkward, fragile creatures.
One of those off-beat comedy-drama films, with a strong sense of the seedier side of life, that the UK film industry went in for quite a lot in the 1980s. This one has a strong performance from Julie Walters, but the comedy often feels strained and it can't seem to quite decide how it's going to handle the more graphic material inevitably involved - straightforwardly, or in nudge-nudge style? Tends towards the latter. Passes the time reasonably well as a slightly odd piece of entertainment; may well also be of interest as an insight into the English psyche (God help us).
One of those off-beat comedy-drama films, with a strong sense of the seedier side of life, that the UK film industry went in for quite a lot in the 1980s. This one has a strong performance from Julie Walters, but the comedy often feels strained and it can't seem to quite decide how it's going to handle the more graphic material inevitably involved - straightforwardly, or in nudge-nudge style? Tends towards the latter. Passes the time reasonably well as a slightly odd piece of entertainment; may well also be of interest as an insight into the English psyche (God help us).