WORKING GIRLS (1986)

 

Directed & Edited By: Lizzie Borden

Written By: Lizzie Borden and Sandra Kay 

Cinematography: Judy Irola

Cast: Lousie Smith, Deborah Banks, Liz Caldwell, Marusia Zach, Amanda Goodwin, Boomer Tibs, Richard Davidson, Ronald Willoughby 

A lesbian college graduate, trying to bankroll her own photography business, works as a high-priced New York City escort.

This film presents a day in the life of hookers at an uptown, brothel escort service, where we see the ins and outs of the service the various customers who come by as well as the different types of girls working there.  

We mainly follow the character of Molly, who is more or less the lead here played by Louise Smith,  as we see her waking up, traveling to the job, getting ready, and thrust into working as well as the responsibilities during the downtime.

We see some of the sessions, the sweetness of some customers, the nastiness of others, and even the strange requests

The relationship between the coworkers and different personalities and types provide an overall character study that can be fun at times as well as sad and shocking. It never feels off for any kind of dramatic reasons or tension so it stays truthful in its depiction and never quite sensationalizes.

The film is in an epic and never feels exploitative It stays quite dramatic and humanistic. Never offer an opinion on any of the characters or the profession.

It’s more of a female look at the profession full of truth and camaraderie, in this high-class brothel.

The film takes place mostly in a single location for most of the film, though it does explore a little not much. It feels like a play for the revolving door of characters and the conversations.

Each session can be a turning point in the film or add some new dramatic intrigue, maybe even a comic premise, but it stays on the level.

There are many stories that could have happened here, but only a few are truly explored as that is the life or the job plenty of fantasies, but in the end, staying themselves and not allowing themselves to get lost. As in their rules as prostitutes, there’s plenty of acting, but never any true lying.

There are no defining traumatic moments until the end. When that happens, it’s not as strong as one would expect. It stays a workplace drama.

We see how the mail customers say the same thing thinking they are different or special, which is why they care for fantasy and to either have control or lose their own to a degree.

The film is based on actual clients witnessed and told about to the filmmaker and the cast. it’s an early eight 1980s independent film with a low budget that was filmed in the director's apartment in a week, through plenty of rehearsal, which also leans more towards its theatrical feeling and pacing. the film manages to say so much it ends up being more of an observant look for the audience to witness and make their own assumptions

The film ends with an ironic statement

GRADE: B+