Irina Palm

2007 Drama

Legendary rocker Marianne Faithfull (of "As Tears Go By" and Broken English fame) stars in director Sam Garbarski's gently observed comedy drama Irina Palm (2007). She portrays Maggie, a working-class fiftysomething increasingly desperate to cover the cost of her ailing grandson's (Corey Burke) operation. When denied one loan and prospective job after another, a hopeless Maggie plunges headfirst into the underground skin trade of Soho London and prostitutes herself, under the aegis of new boss Miki (Miki Manojlovic). Equipped with a new name, "Irina Palm," Maggie begins working customers with a stimulatory technique so popular that patrons are soon lining up around the corner to be "serviced" by her.

Director: Sam Garbarski

Starring: Marianne Faithfull, Miki Manojlovic, Kevin Bishop, Siobhan Hewlett, Dorka Gryllus

 30 Reviews  6 Awards

Reviews

  • Faithfull is marvelous: Once notorious for her own escapades, this great-great-niece of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch is no shrinking violet, but she's perfect as a plump, frumpy widow with a huge heart and a hidden talent no one would ever suspect.

    Ken Fox - TV Guide

    26 April 2013

  • Sam Garbarski's use of slow-motion shots is pretentious, and he paces the film too slowly. But he captures the seedy side of London, giving you a feel for Soho during the day when sunshine exposes a cheap gaudiness.

    Ruthe Stein - The San Francisco Chronicle

    26 April 2013

  • It turns out a success, tempering its farfetched scenario with enough restraint and believability to pass for a modest parable of modern manners.

    - The Chicago Tribune

    26 April 2013

  • Marianne Faithfull is unforgettable as a middle-class, middle-aged frump ...in Sam Garbarski's crowd-pleasing comedy-drama Irina Palm.

    Ray Bennett - The Hollywood Reporter

    26 April 2013

  • There's a heartwarming quality that softens the hardcore setting but this does lack an assured, er, hand.

    - Empire

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Sam Garbarski

    Berlin International Film Festival (2007)

  • Best European Film (Miglior Film dell'Unione Europea)

    David di Donatello Awards (2008)

  • Best Actor

    European Film Awards (2007)

     

  • Best Distributor (Migliore Distributore)

    Golden Globes, Italy (2008)

  • Best European Director (Regista del Miglior Film Europeo)

    Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (2008)

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