when i first saw marianne faithful in irena palm and she be so much the frumpy housewife that i almost do not recognize her . a the movie continue and however and i saw her bright eye and intense expression and realize that she one of the few woman who and like the far less likable leni riesenstahl and will be sexy in old age . she have an odd career and go from ingénue groupie to see it all chanteuse and seemingly without a middle period . in this film and she emerge a a great actor than singer ( though her pirate jenny from the threepenny opera may be the best version of the song in english ) . her talent in full bloom in irena palm . she appear in almost every frame and hold together a story that and on it own and be not always plausible . maggie and the frumpy housewife and have a beloved grandson who die of some disease . he can go to australia for experimental treatment but no one in the family can afford the 6 and 000 pound need for travel expense . maggie and without marketable experience and roam the street of london in search of work to raise the money and without success until she apply for a hostess job at a grubby soho sex show . miki ( miki manojlovic ) and the show manager and like the look of maggie hand and be willing to try her out . seem the work involve masturbate anonymous men who and have be excite by nude showgirl and feed coin to a meter and stick their cock through hole in a wall . maggie do a fine job and develop a following and and prove an accomplished earner . but and of course and thing get more complicated and and not only because maggie develop penis elbow and must wear her arm in a sling . her woman friend wonder how she spend her time and she refuse to tell them . when she get the necessary money and give it to her son and he follow her to her workplace and be outrage to discover that his mother a whore . his wife understand well and however and and insists on accept the money for the trip to australia with their son . the film end with maggie return to miki sex club and kiss her pimp or manager on the lip in what be clearly a developing romance . m faithful have display and throughout her career and a visceral hatred of capitalism ( her version of work class hero be clear and more intense than john lennon ) . irena palm can be see a a sophisticated exploration of capitalist contradiction . maggie be both satisfied by her financial success and happy that she can do something well and but the sordidness of her occupation be not minimize . miki sex club be realistically crowd and dirty . when her co worker and luisa ( dorka gryllus ) and be unable to line up the men like maggie and she be unceremoniously fire . beneath it somewhat silly plot and irena palm make serious statement and and marianne faithful enables it to happen .