Synopsis
----------------
Personal Services is the story of Christine Painter a single mother trying to make ends meet. However her choice of money making although the oldest trade in the world, is illegal.
Christine Painter is a madam, she rents flats all around London and then installs ... Read review
Julie Walters (Billy Elliot, Educating Rita, and Calendar Girls) stars as suburban brothel ... more
Madame, Christine Painter, with some highly unusual clients. Inspired by the real experiences of the legendary Cynthia Payne, Personal Services, directed by Terry Jones (Monty Python) is a revealing, hilarious and uproarious account of Christine's adventures as she climbs the ladder to fame and notoriety. British law sets out to ruin the discreet fun and games.BAFTA-nominated for Best Actress (Julie Walters), Best Screenplay (David Leland), and winner of the Peter Sellers Award for Comedy, Personal Services blends elements of genuine warmth, a hysterical look at sexual diversity and English reserve.
A BAFTA-nominated Julie Walters (Billy Elliot Educating Rita Calendar Girls) stars as ... more
suburban brothel Madame Christine Painter with some highly unusual clients. Inspired by the real experiences of the legendary Cynthia Payne Personal Services directed by terry Jones (Monty Python) is a revealing hilarious and uproarious account of Christine's adventures as she climbs the ladder to fame and notoriety. British law sets out to ruin the discreet fun and games.
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Advantages: A fantastic story Disadvantages: A little dated even back in 1987 when the film was made.
.../>
----------------
Personal Services is the story of Christine Painter a single mother trying to make ends meet. However her choice of money making although the oldest trade in the world, is illegal.
Christine Painter is a madam, she rents flats all around London and then installs "tarts" in the aim to please the nations finery.
When a less than desirable employee deserts her post Christine has to ... ...at her.
Personal Services is loosely based on true life madam Cynthia Payne.
Overview
-------------
Personal Services is directed by Ex Monty Python star Terry Jones, and in my opinion is the best work of all the ex pythons in respect of on or off camera.
Christine Painter is played by Julie Walters who was at the dawn of her career having only been in a few known TV shows and movies. ... more
Synopsis ----------------
Personal Services is the story of Christine Painter a single mother trying to make ends meet. However her choice of money making although the oldest trade in the world, is illegal. Christine Painter is a madam, she rents flats all around London and then installs "tarts" in the aim to please the nations finery.
When a less than desirable employee deserts her post Christine has to fill in for her. Despite being perfectly capable of running these sorts of establishments Christine has absolutely no idea what they actually do. It's of course not long before she has figured this out. And with the aid of her friend Shirley they set up a high class establishment catering for the greatest of perversions. From sadomasochism to gym slips and water sports they handle the lot.
However it's not long before the law begin to take a very dim view of Christine's antics and throw the book at her.
Personal Services is loosely based on true life madam Cynthia Payne.
Overview -------------
Personal Services is directed by Ex Monty Python star Terry Jones, and in my opinion is the best work of all the ex pythons in respect of on or off camera.
Christine Painter is played by Julie Walters who was at the dawn of her career having only been in a few known TV shows and movies. Julie plays the role phenomenally well, and you are left with no doubt that she is indeed a high class hooker. Her sense of comedy timing is fantastic and I really could not see another actress pulling this role off.
Christine's best Friend Shirley is played by Shirley Stelfox whom most will know as Edna Birch in Emmerdale. She pulls Christine into the world of kinkiness and is a stable support through the bad times. When most people realise exactly who she plays now, they find the contrast very difficult to adapt too.
Then we have Dolly played by Danny Schiller who stared in Bergerac and more recently Century Falls. Dolly is Shirley and Christine's elderly maid, unbeknown to all Dolly has a secret which I can't reveal. Dolly is the real cement of the piece she binds all the characters together. And for the most part provides all the best laughs.
I first saw Personal Services in 1990 having heard for a few years about how risky and hysterical the movie was. Everybody was going on about it. Personally the sort of films that most rave about or find funny I tend to sit there thinking "what's all the fuss about?" with personal services however this is not the case.
From the minute the film begins you find yourself quietly chuckling along, originally for me it was because of the state of the prostitute that Christine fills in for. And it does not stop. There are quite long serious elements to the film, but for the most part it's a laugh riot.
Personal Services is available in two formats neither have any subtitles, additional languages or special features other than a trailers. The DVD Is available on Carlton DVD priced anywhere between £3.99-£12.99 depending on where you buy it and the time of year, this release is however becoming rare. Or alternately you can buy the Prism Leisure release which retails at £5.99 directly through Prism, or via Ebay, Amazon or Play.com
If you don't bother with any of the films I have reviewed in the past, make a point of seeing this one. You'll laugh so much you might well cry.
Advantages: 26 of their best songs : Tonnes of extras Disadvantages: It may not be your cup of tea.
) weeks and only dropped from that position because it was deleted. Funnily enough, in common with Marti himself, I don't actually think this was their best, personally I think Julia Says or Strange deserves that accolade.
You can imagine my heartache when Marti's personal problems caused the band to split, and my delight when they reformed last year and of course I was extremely pleased when my children presented me with this DVD for Christmas.
Right so who are the gentlemen that make up this group that still have me regularly bopping along :
Well firstly we have Mark Mclaughlin. Who on earth's that I hear you yell, well actually it's Marti Pellow, he of the smouldering look and come to bed eyes, lead singer of the Wets. He has the most marvellous voice to go with those looks, and has recently been playing the role of Billy Flynn in ...
Julie Walters gives a sterling performance in this riotous comedy which takes a look behind the scenes at the sex-life of the British. The story was inspired by the life of Cynthia Payne, the notorious Madam, who was cleared by the courts of brothel keeping.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
ITV DVD; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Release date
07/07/2003
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
37115 05123
Barcode
5037115051233
Languages
Main Language
English
Hearing Impaired Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio
4:3
Sound
Dolby Digital Mono
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital Mono English
Professional reviews
Review
"...Dauntless, lively and inexhaustible....[It knows] how to have a good time..." (New York Times, p.C4, 15/05/1987)
"...Alex McCowan is excellent....[The] technical credits are all strong..." (Variety, 18/03/1987)
DVD Description
A seemingly conservative woman and her clientele of kinky connoisseurs become daily tabloid sensations when it's discovered that her suburban brothel caters to some of Great Britain's elite. Members of Parliament, diplomats, judges, bankers, and even men of the cloth are all caught with their pants down in England's scandal of the decade.
Compare Personal Services (DVD) to other similar Drama »
![Personal Services [Special Edition]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/98757512.jpg "Personal Services [Special Edition]")
![Personal Services Dvd [1986] | Stelfox Sealed](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/106098237.jpg "Personal Services Dvd [1986] | Stelfox Sealed")
![Personal Services [DVD] [1986]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78044185.jpg "Personal Services [DVD] [1986]")
![Personal Services [DVD] [1986]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/80205819.jpg "Personal Services [DVD] [1986]")
![Personal Services [DVD] [1986]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/88416875.jpg "Personal Services [DVD] [1986]")
