Hussy (1980)

Wow! Such a good movie.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

I can't say that I liked this film very much, but it did have some good elements. First, and foremost, Helen Mirren. She has always been sooo beautiful, even into her sixties. Here, she was about thirty-five, and looks it, with some lines around the eyes that no modern actress would tolerate in this Botox era. I found it charming and attractive, myself. But then, I'm no spring chicken myself. Many actresses ruin their looks with toxins and surgeries. Yes, feminine beauty is ephemeral, but the effort to maintain it often goes horribly bad these days. Anyway, the plotting and casting seem better to me now, than when I was watching the film yesterday. Not sure what that means. I guess I'd say that fans of Mirren (like me) should definitely see this, and others should probably skip it.

This was not a bad film, but without Helen Mirren's acting -- she was superb even in 1980 -- I'm not sure how bad it COULD have been. Unfortunately, she's teamed here with John Shea, an American would-be heartthrob who was supposed to be a big star at one time until someone found he wasn't a very good actor. It was annoying to rent this, because the DVD jacket shows Mirren in sexy poses. She is never really nude; we get a profile glimpse of one of her breasts as she climbs into a bathtub. But the DVD jacket would have you believe she's all but into explicit sex here. Pure exploitation of Mirren. This movie would have been more or less forgettable if she hadn't gone on to greater things. All things considered, this is just another familiar and formulaic 'thriller' about a hard-working single mother reduced to prostitution who gets it on with Shea after a 'romance' of sorts.My personal rule of thumb: if you're looking for a sexy movie, and a DVD has sexy pictures on the front, there's a 90 per cent chance you're going to be disappointed. This movie is just another example of the rule.

well, the title is certainly "trashy" enough to mislead those looking for a quality drama away to other things. the makers definitely could've chosen a better one, but perhaps they wanted the added interest a lurid title would draw? the box the DVD i watched came in had this extra bit of salaciousness as a caption at the top: "how much sex is enough" (l.o.l.) but, being familiar with helen mirren's career, i knew that if she were starring in it there might be nudity (and there is), but it'd be a first-rate film (and it is). she's always been a knockout, in addition to being one of Britain's best actresses. hence, her honorary status there as a "dame." (she was also, at age 60, recently a marquee guest speaker at the local film festival) i'm really surprised, though, that somebody didn't go back and change the title of this film. anyway, i liked it. if you like helen mirren - particularly, early h.m. - you'll like it, too. note her entrance into the film's story after the first few minutes. that tells you everything you need to know about what the filmmakers think of her, and her own class.

Helen Mirren never fails to amaze. she can play anything if she wants to. This flick is not as trashy as it's title may imply. Here she plays a 'dancer' in a club. Her face is all painted up, evidence of perhaps a little too much rouge. Very tartish. Most movies about 'strippers' or 'dancers' get poor movie reviews only BECAUSE of their subject matter. This movie is no exception as is evidenced by Leonard Maltin's one-star review of the movie. But movies that are about, what many consider seedy subjects, can be well told. Mirren's character is working in her club & meets a teacher like character played by John Shea. They don't really click at first but realize they are drawn to each other through conversation. Their relationship soon blossoms sexually. Mirren also has a young son. She can't seem to cast off the likes of her son's father. A brutish ex-convict. The convict comes back into Mirren's & her son's life & meets Shea. They don't like each other. The ex-con is soon broiled up in the IRA, smuggling drugs, & later, bullies Shea to join in as a driver for him. The ex later kills a coke-sniffing associate by shooting him in the back of the head after an argument. Mirren's ex then decides he wants to go his own way and leaves Shea alone to have Mirren. Shea then opts to Mirren to leave the London area with him but she won't go because her son has entered an important sports program in school. After arguing w/Shea over this she realizes Shea is right. She has a talk with her son and convinces the lad that other schools will have sports programs just like his current school.(Nice touch by the writers here as the boy responds/agrees quite willingly with his mother's suggestion).Just sit back and enjoy as well as study Mirren's acting here. She handles risky subject realistically. I like the way the writers included her having a son because in real life most dancers have kids. That's why they're dancing.No stranger to nude scenes in movies, Mirren has a few here most notably the full frontal while lying in a bathtub. But nevertheless this is an excellent mature story told with adult viewing in mind.