Stella Does Tricks

The output from British studios has been mixed to say the least, over the past 3/4 years. This is worth a viewing. It is sluggish over the first 30 minutes, and lacks a narrative direction. However you become drawn into Stella's life and frequent mistakes. A tender movie that doesn't go for the cliche.

This film is truly remarkable both in storyline and acting. Kelly MacDonald excels as under age prostitute Stella whilst James Bolam is creepily superb as her pimp. The story centres around Stella in London and her two roles as prostitute and outgoing young woman. There are also flashbacks of her childhood in Glasgow before she moved to London to become a prostitute. Sex scenes are not graphic but perhaps seem more disturbing due to this. This film is a truly thought provoking delight covering many sub plots including drugs. Well worth a look

I live in a collage like set up with 45 others, and was watching this with 4 people in the common room. By the end of the movie though, there was about 20 people in the room in uproar about the film, what it portrays, who was wrong, who was right, drugs, sex - everything! It just one of those movies that everyone has an opinion on. The movie follows the life of an underage prostitute. There are basically two stories shown at once in the movie - one showing why she is like she is, and one showing what she is trying to do about it. Although there are not really any graffic sex scenes in the movie, it is more what is insinuated that might make it offensive to some. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see the darker side of the streets. The really scary thing about the movie is that the story was apparently inspired after interviews with some underage prostitutes on the street! 9 out of 10.

"Stella Does Tricks" tells of a Scottish teen female's struggle to escape a life of prostitution. Sans the glitzy appointments of the usual tinsel town fare and exploitive sex and nudity usually accompanying the subject matter, this austere film focuses on the real problems of the principle; addictiveness of easy money, low self esteem from childhood abuse, etc. With excellent performances all around, especially by Mcdonald (Stella), this film's only flaw is annoying dreamlike flashbacking which is too often ambiguous in an attempt to be poetic. Good stuff for those into sincere, earnest, hardworking reality pix about the socially disenfranchised.

I live in a collage like set up with 45 others, and was watching this with 4 people in the common room. By the end of the movie though, there was about 20 people in the room in uproar about the film, what it portrays, who was wrong, who was right, drugs, sex - everything! It's just one of those movies that everyone has an opinion on. The movie follows the life of an underage prostitute. There are basically two stories shown at once in the movie - one showing why she is like she is, and one showing what she is trying to do about it. Although there are not really any graffic sex sceens in the movie, it is more what is insinuated that might make it offensive to some. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see the darker side of the streets. The really scary thing about the movie is that the story was apparently inspired after inteviews with some underage prostitutes on the street! 9 out of 10.