Kaffeine Buzz
reviews independent and foreign films,
in addition to reporting the latest buzz behind
Colorado's film festivals.
Irina Palm (Sam Garbarski)
We often hear sorted stories of those, in their
younger years, needing to do this or that “for
the money.” Whether it be a posting on YouTube
or a naked picture, those initial sacrifices seem
to come back to haunt those who after a time,
have made a life for themselves in the spotlight.
In the case of Maggie, she never
was never visible in her earlier days. And now
as a middle-aged widow, she’s not only invisible
to many, but she finds that she has no skills
to get the run-of-the-mill job and she’s
deeply in debt.
With a grandson who’s dealing with a dangerous
disease that has run out of options for a cure,
the only hope left is to send him to a clinic
in Melbourne, Australia. She’s desperate
to raise the money in any way she can, and her
search leads her to a world she never dare step
into before.
It is within a sex club that not only does Maggie,
or Irina Palm, find her calling,
but she also finds her own power, along with the
ability to make the money needed for the family.
At first, you’re not sure she can make it
through her first “hand job” session,
but after a while this lurid act almost comes
as second nature to her, working an assembly line
of a different kind.
She transforms before your eyes, taking on more
respect for herself from the most unlikely place
that is usually thought to be disrespectful.
Her secret almost becomes something she uses
as a plaything, toying with the curiosity of her
neighbors. You find yourself rooting for her,
as she comes out of her quiet, almost victim-like
shell and confronts those who would have otherwise
pushed her over.
This is not to say that she doesn’t suffer
some consequences of her actions. But the strife
and complications seem worth it in the end.
In a 2007 interview with Daily Mail,
Marianne Faithful, now playing
the role of women in her 60’s who has come
to the end of her financial rope in this film,
stated that living life as if there’s no
tomorrow finally caught up with her in real life.
"Saving simply wasn't part of the equation.
Money didn't matter to me - so much so that I
don't own anything. I haven't got a house or a
mortgage or a car. I'm still renting - at 60!"
But as in life and as Irina Palm, Faithful is
still a hot mamma. And in this role, she’s
still a superstar.
