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.

I thought this was one of those films you simply have to see with someone else - to go over it afterwards.

Although rambling in places, I found the lead characters were mesmerising, in that you simply had to watch to find out what happened. James Bolam, in particular, was disturbingly nasty as the pimp, showing an incredible characterisation. As I have only seen him in light comedy before, I wondered whether he was suitable for such a gritty drama - and he proved eminently so!

Overall, a disturbing film due to the subject matter, but a very well acted and presented drama which leaves an enduring impression in the mind after the film ends - one of the marks of a good film, to me.

"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.

Not a movie i'd watch again to be honest.

It jumps around too much, flashback memory scenes etc, and subjects of prostitution and Incest..Not to everyone's taste.

It stars, Kelly McDonald as Stella, Peter Bolam as her pimp, and Ewan Stewart as her creepy father.. All really good actors to be fair.

The movie is just too slow, with a couple of exciting scenes thrown in, but a bit sporadic.

Filmed in and around Glasgow and London i believe, for those of you that like to know locations..

I'd give it 4 stars, as it does have some really gritty parts, but overall, it's just too slow.

I saw this film on cable last night. I really wanted to like it because I like Hans Matheson and Kelly Macdonald, but when it was over, I felt disappointed. I think my biggest pet peeve is that the filmmakers spent too much time trying to drive home the point that Stella was molested as a child (after the third flashback, even the dumbest audience member understands) and too little time developing the characters. I would have liked to know more about why Eddie is the way he is, and why Stella latches on to him as opposed to, say, one of her older Johns who isn't a drug addict. Perhaps it was intentional that the only person we get to know is Stella, because that way we can see just how messed up and confusing her life is. I'm just not sure.