United International Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Personal Services
The future lies in kinky people
Fed up with working hard just to scrape by, Christine Painter comes up with a bold plan to become the madam of a brothel and earn her financial freedom: she opens a house of spanking to fabulous reviews.
- Original title
- Personal Services
- Language
- EN
- Country
- GB
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- $1,744,164
CinemaSerf
Jul 24, 2023 · via TMDB
Julie Walters is great in this story of a woman who starts off life working in a café but ends up being arrested for living off the immoral earnings made running a brothel for the great and the good. It's loosely based on the rise and fall of the renowned madam Cynthia Payne (who consulted on the drama) and reaches inside the murky sex industry, laying bare peccadilloes galore as we discover a wide variety of kinks that keep all ranges of society entertained and/or employed. "Christine" is a shrewd business woman whom aided by her stalwart "Dolly" (Danny Schiller); "Shirley" (Shirley Stelfox) and the RAF veteran Wing Commander - in panties and a bra - "Morten" (Alec McCowen) is making quite a go of her elicit enterprise. The police pop up now and again, but for the most part Terry Jones left me with thinking that this is actually quite an empowering drama. Certainly some of the women taking part do so out of necessity - and perhaps that is rather underplayed here - but we are also presented with the inescapable fact that human beings are all different and that the Victorian-era proscription of sex, and of sexual practices between consenting adults is long outdated and certainly no business of the state or their agencies. David Leland has written a script that is peppered with realism, sarcasm and proves ideal for the on-form Walters and her well targeted delivery. It does meander around familial discord a bit, which I didn't need - but the last few scenes speak (or should that be spank) volumes about the hypocrisy and double-standards that prevail in a society that should enjoy sex and keep it's nose where it belongs... It's good fun and thought-provoking in equal measure, and well worth a watch.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Julie Walters
Christine Painter
Shirley Stelfox
Shirley
Alec McCowen
Wing Commander Morten
Danny Schiller
Dolly
Tim Woodward
Timms
Suzette Llewellyn
Helen
Ewan Hooper
Edward
Alan Bowyer
David Painter
Peter Cellier
Mr. Marples
Benjamin Whitrow
Mr. Marsden
Stephen Lewis
Mr. Dunkley
John Shrapnel
Lionel
Nigel Le Vaillant
The Man
Ron Pember
Ron
Ivor Roberts
Glossop
Arthur Cox
Lennox
Stanley Lebor
Jones
John Bailey
Mr. Gardner
Badi Uzzaman
Mr. Patel
Arnold Brown
The Vicar
Toni Palmer
Aunt Winnie
Andrew MacLachlan
Mr. McClellan
Arthur Hewlett
Mr. Francis
Ian McNeice
Harry
Clare Clifford
Fay
Charlotte Alexandra
Diane
Antony Carrick
Edgar
Leon Lissek
Mr. Popozogolou
Arthur Whybrow
Mac
Peter Wight
Detective Gibson
Adam Morris
Man in Video
Rupert Holliday-Evans
Terry
David Leland
Mr. Pilkington / Danielle
Janie Booth
Court Usher
Roger Deakins
Camera Operator
Roger Deakins
Director of Photography
John Ward
Steadicam Operator
Terry Jones
Director
John Higgins
Gaffer
Debbie McWilliams
Casting
Tim Bevan
Producer
John Du Prez
Original Music Composer
David Leland
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