Personal Services

source: Personal Services

This is a rare misfire from Julie Walters. She performs her role as if it's a series of Victoria Wood sketches. In this context, it comes across a horribly over-acted and one dimensional. The script is a tedious plod through events and the comedy it's aiming at mainly misfires.

Terry Jone's slightly raunchy comedy-drama is based on a woman named Christine (Julie Walters) chronicling her arise as the owner of a brothel whose clientele are the older male. Featuring a stand out performance by Walters and great supporting roles by Shirley Stelfox and Danny Schiller, Personal Services is a pretty amusing and honest depiction of sex and our obsessions with it. It's a bit of an odd one tonally; it does have moments that are really funny and the ending leaves you with a smile on your face (no pun intended) but there is a melancholic darkness that surrounds the film also. There's even a scene that flirts with being a suspense chiller; with Christine waking up to find someone has broken into her flat, someone left locked up in another room and the police on her doorstep. There's a comic payoff in the middle of the scene but then the clever part is keeping the suspense and humour rolling by adding another element to the mix that throws Christine into another predicament. I think the film as a whole struggles a bit with the mood balance which lessened my enjoyment overall but the three central performances are great and the writing for each character is really well done! Ultimately I think the message of the film is quite beautifully encapsulated in one moment; it's Christmas and all the regulars and workers gather at the brothel for a festive congregation. When they have their photo taken together, there's that rush of feeling that they all understand each other; they're consenting adults that have luckily found each other to fulfil their unique fetishes. Until the peace is disrupted by an unwelcome raid. If people aren't hurting each other and are in fact doing the opposite and bringing pleasure to their lives, why not leave them in peace I say! And I think that's what writer David Leland and Director Terry Jones were saying here

Christine dreams of a better life for her and her son, a life of luxury, to fulfill her dream, she has an idea, a brothel for those of a more discerning nature. I will never be able to hear the word 'Popazokaloo' in the same light ever again. They definitely coined an expression with that one. This is without any shadow of a doubt one of my favourite films, it is fabulous from beginning to end. It's a bit naughty, but it's a terrific story, with so much going on. If course it's the story of Cynthia Payne, even if there's a disclaimer at the start dismissing the notion, the story is very much told from her point of view, perfectly so. Favourite scene had to be Dolly's revelation, when the mother of The Groom walked in, it's a side splitting moment. The acting is sublime, when I'm asked who my favourite actress is, the answer is always easy, it's Julie Walters, films like this are the reason why, she is incredible, as are Shirley Stelfox and Danny Schiller, the wealth of talent is incredible, so many familiar faces are here. 10/10.

It was brave of the director and cast to make this story, but I keep seeing glimpses of the excellent film it could have been if only the cast would stop yelling and screaming and running about. I suppose this is an attempt to be farcical, and inspires the many comments about what a hilarious laugh riot it is. I want to sympathise with Christine, Dolly and the other woman played excellently by Shirley Stelfox, but I keep being distracted by their method acting - particularly from Julie Walters, who employs her usual tricks and giggles and shouts when she can't think of anything else to do (and when there's nothing to laugh at - but maybe that's the point). Her naivety is a running gag (I thought he was making us a cupboard for us to hang our coats in!), but one that wears thin. The Carry On films at their best were full of English wit - this has none. (Though I liked this exchange: Mr Papazoglou (in see-through negligee) I love my wife! Christine: That's nice.) An opportunity missed.

beautifully acted, unexpectedly moving, hilarious, and at times very, very dirty, this film is "inspired by" the life of cynthia payne, one of the most notorious madame's in britain's history - julie walters is brilliant as a woman who evolves from a waitress struggling to make her rent, to a successful businesswoman running a brothel that caters only to "kinky sorts" - through all of it, she raises a son, forces her father to come to terms with the person his daughter has become, and has difficulty with the "charles and diana" ideal of love that she can never find for herself - perhaps the greatest quality of this film, though, is its ability to shock at every turn - just when you thought you'd seen just how honestly funny kinky sex can be, think again...

I remember me and my friends renting this out back when we were teenagers because the video cover made it look like it was going to be a sexy romp. Imagine our surprise when we sat down to watch it and discovered it had all the sexiness of a John McCririck workout video. In fairness to me and my teenage mates, we actually really liked this one, despite the false advertising. It begins with a disclaimer, pointing out that this is absolutely not the story of the famous British madame, Cynthia Payne. And clearly it isn't seeing as the madame in this one is called Christine Painter - a name not similar in any way whatsoever. So, yeah, despite the disclaimer, this basically IS the story of Cynthia Payne; of how she became a prostitute and set up a happy house which attracted a bunch of elderly men in need of servicing. It was directed by Monty Python's Terry Jones and was even banned in Ireland for two months! Revisiting it all these years later, I would say it isn't massively funny but its still a decent movie, with Julie Walters putting in a good performance as Payne.... I mean Painter.

Having watched this film I need to ask why, when nobody in that 'disorderly house' was at any point abused in any way against their will, was there any need for the raid by police and prosecution. The moral prudishness that seemed to justify this is not seen when unwilling victims are assaulted, such as at workplace initiation or in many cases by bro called birthday stripp o grams. Many of these leave victims devastated, but are barely seen as wrong. I think the Brita have a very twisted idea of what is right and wrong.

Bit too episodic.How did she come to own flats in the first place and have a son at private school (I'm totally against boarding schools on principle) while working as a waitress? Should be turned into a musical.

Very funny movie, one of my favorites. The entire cast was great but Julia Walters was excellent, as always. "Popazokaloo" should have become a household word, apparently not enough people saw the movie. The scene in the loo will make you laugh till you cry. I find it interesting that the men I know that have seen the movie don't find it as amusing as the women who have viewed it do. (Watch it and draw your own conclusions about my observation.)