Working Girls

This documentary-like look at the life of a New York City brothel featured several amateur actors and one noteworthy professional: Ellen McElduff, who plays the officious madam. The primary character, "Molly," is attractive, sedate, sensible Louise Smith. The comings and goings of the johns include their personal requests, the most common of which is to meet outside the brothel, which Molly always deftly declines. Richard Leacock, the great documentarian and educator, appears as one of her clients, no doubt an inspiration to Lizzie Borden, who concerned herself with making an honest film about a subject, often glamorized or made maudlin in commercial cinema.

WORKING GIRLS is the farthest thing from a Hollywood film. One of the oddest, most original, and refreshing films I have ever seen. Stimulating, without feeling pornographic. Lizzie Borden handles the subject-matter well -- in her tender, loving woman-hands. I wish I could get MY HANDS on some of her other films -- BORN IN FLAMES was what I had in mind. There is an excellent chapter on her in John Russo's (book) MAKING MOVIES. WORKING GIRLS will embarrass those who are not comfortable with the darker side of their nature -- and will bore those who desire no substance, just the old in-out. WORKING GIRLS doesn't feel the least bit exploitive. I loved the film, and I wish that Lizzie was still making movies -- movies that could find their way to my local cineplex.

"Most refreshingly, WORKING GIRLS earnestly but also playfuly takes the stigma off the oldest profession, Borden shows stimulating rapport among the girls, albeit their manifold colorations, uncouth or soft-spoken, frigid or wide-eyed, they might not be each other's best friends after hours, but internecine competition is nonexistent among them whereas sisterhood prevails and they do not stint on camaraderie. It is also awkwardly funny when Molly has to hide her sapphic predilection from a new girl in a girl-on-girl show, who is mortally averse to lesbianism. Indeed, it is through those small vignettes Borden excellently gives us a capsule view of the sign of its times: homophobia, racism (a black girl cannot earn as much as her pale-skinned coworkers, even a black customer is prone to stiff a girl of his own race, the humiliation feels lacerating), and most stirringly, the male chauvinism that is the canker incubates our society's inveterate inequity, and also the unique connection between a prostitute and her clients, it doesn't necessarily be exclusively carnal, interpersonal communication burgeons among human beings every nook and cranny. Borden's overarching critique is on point, totally honest and prescient."

read my full review on my blog: Cinema Omnivore, thanks.

Just recently watched this independent film from 1986 called "Working Girls" and it kind of lives up to it's title showing how girls like this worked back in the day, yet while going thru it all return to life at the end of the work day or night shift. Set in New York city, it follows Molly who already has a family and live in female lover, yet on the side she moonlights as an escort in a house brothel which is ran by a madam. The scenes are blunt and call it erotic, exotic, and kinky as you see plenty of nudity and skin with little sex games that involve spanking, and being tied up!

All Along the dialogue shows Molly and the other black bra wearing escorts talking and dealing with customers while trying to navigate life also. Overall interesting and provocative film one that any film buff should watch and see as it shows even still in the end that Molly and these go against the grain ladies all wear masks yet they return to normal life in the end.

A day in the life of a woman who is a prostitute in a brothel-a very high class brothel. Nothing really happens--her and the other girls sit around and talk and serve clients. The movie does not glamorize prostitution. It shows it as a grueling, painful and demoralizing job. The script is sharp and on-target and most of the performances are good. Not great film, but well-made.