Faithfull Shines in Irina Palm

Irina Palm, about a frumpy grandmother who resorts to prostitution so she can pay for her desperately ill grandson's operation, is winning over critics, both because of its unsentimental portrayal of the sex trade and because of the performance given by its star, singer/songwriter/actress and '60s icon Marianne Faithfull.

Irina Palm is thought-provoking and timely, observes Kam Williams of News Blaze, "given these dire days of skyrocketing medical costs and a governor caught consorting with high-priced call girls." And it's "anchored by arguably the best performance Faithfull has ever given on film," writes Richard Horgan of FilmStew.com. Its humorous moments, meanwhile, offer "occasional relief from subject matter so grim," adds Matt Pais of Metromix Chicago. (More independent film stories.)