Helen Mirren never fails to amaze. she can play anything if she wants to. This flick is not as trashy as it's title may imply. Here she plays a 'dancer' in a club. Her face is all painted up, evidence of perhaps a little too much rouge. Very tartish. Most movies about 'strippers' or 'dancers' get poor movie reviews only BECAUSE of their subject matter. This movie is no exception as is evidenced by Leonard Maltin's one-star review of the movie. But movies that are about, what many consider seedy subjects, can be well told. Mirren's character is working in her club & meets a teacher like character played by John Shea. They don't really click at first but realize they are drawn to each other through conversation. Their relationship soon blossoms sexually. Mirren also has a young son. She can't seem to cast off the likes of her son's father. A brutish ex-convict. The convict comes back into Mirren's & her son's life & meets Shea. They don't like each other. The ex-con is soon broiled up in the IRA, smuggling drugs, & later, bullies Shea to join in as a driver for him. The ex later kills a coke-sniffing associate by shooting him in the back of the head after an argument. Mirren's ex then decides he wants to go his own way and leaves Shea alone to have Mirren. Shea then opts to Mirren to leave the London area with him but she won't go because her son has entered an important sports program in school. After arguing w/Shea over this she realizes Shea is right. She has a talk with her son and convinces the lad that other schools will have sports programs just like his current school.(Nice touch by the writers here as the boy responds/agrees quite willingly with his mother's suggestion).
Just sit back and enjoy as well as study Mirren's acting here. She handles risky subject realistically. I like the way the writers included her having a son because in real life most dancers have kids. That's why they're dancing.
No stranger to nude scenes in movies, Mirren has a few here most notably the full frontal while lying in a bathtub. But nevertheless this is an excellent mature story told with adult viewing in mind.
Just sit back and enjoy as well as study Mirren's acting here. She handles risky subject realistically. I like the way the writers included her having a son because in real life most dancers have kids. That's why they're dancing.
No stranger to nude scenes in movies, Mirren has a few here most notably the full frontal while lying in a bathtub. But nevertheless this is an excellent mature story told with adult viewing in mind.