TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Abegail Noëlle While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

meddlecore "Whore" is a fantastic movie by Ken Russell (dir. of Altered States, Crimes of Passion) that is absolutely hysterical from start to finish. The film is shot in a pseudo-documentary style, in which we find ourselves taking on the perspective of a film crew that is following around a prostitute on the lamb (Theresa Russell). She bares all for the camera, telling her stories, revealing both the humorous and the frightening aspects of life as a hooker. From putting up with the local quacks, to having guys want to f**k her in the ass and dominate them, to saving her troubled colleagues and putting up with her idiotic pimp..this movie has it all...and it will have you laughing your ass off. It shows how life as a whore can be tough and that you have to be careful about who you choose as your friends in "the oldest profession on earth." This is another winner by Ken Russell that cant be missed by any of his fans. 10 out of 10.

Scarecrow-88 The night of confession for one "that walks" hooking while trying to dodge a homicidal pimp, Blake(Benjamin Mouton)who she wishes to abandon if he doesn't find & kill her first. Theresa Russell portrays Liz as bluntly honest, no-nonsense about her job and what comes with the territory of being a hooker. She seems a bit uneducated and a tad obnoxious, but, at the same time, you can't take your eyes of her because you never know what is about to come spewing out. Antonio Fargas portrays Rasta, a street denizen for whom becomes someone for Liz to lean on and eventually her protector as it seems Blake could kill her at any time. We see in one of several past vignettes explained to the camera(us;a device director uses to optimum effect..this will either be a charm or annoyance to the viewer)by Liz what violence can happen when an "employee" of his gets out of hand..a hooker gets her stomach slit open and nearly bleeds to death. We also see that even having a friend to chat with seems forbidden as Liz has a forming relationship with a bi-sexual named Katie(Liz Morehead)for whose life is threatened by Blake. Blake is such a mean, cold-blooded bastard he threatens to hook Liz's son when he comes of age.The film is set up as a means for a hooker to speak candidly about what it's like being a "whore." We see Liz working those who stop off to check her out and even see one or two possible clients getting a chance at a "good time." One client gets so worked up his heart stops! The film doesn't seem to judge Liz, but the profession and it's disadvantages. Be warned:the film is sexually explicit and profane from the moment we're introduced to Liz until the fade-out. I think either you will find Russell's performance grating and terrible or very watchable. I think Theresa is terrific, capturing a character who really fell off the side of the tracks and is trying to confront what her choice of profession has done to her(loss of her child to adoption, the joyless task of getting men off, etc). I will agree with many that Ken Russell's film is a mixed bag often drifting from comedy into tragedy, but I myself just don't see how a woman like this' story could be told any other way.

preppy-3 A prostitute named Liz (Theresa Russell) relates her life and times to the viewer. She's running away from her vicious pimp (Benjamin Mouton) who wants to kill her. Rasta (Antonio Fargas) pops up from time to time to inexplicably help her.This was made in response to "Pretty Woman" (which actually made prostitution look glamorous). Director Ken Russell had trouble getting funding for this--no actress would take the role and the title alone scared away investors. Finally Theeresa Russell (no relation) agreed to do it but he still had trouble getting funds. The movie was cheaply made and it shows in some of the sets. It also prevents Russell from any overindulgences (which are usually the highlights of his films). It comes off, cinematically, kind of muted.The acting carries this. Theresa is a great actress--she pulls off the role showing the humor and pain in equal doses. Also she has quite a few long monologues which she pulls off without a hitch. Mouton is also good as her slimy pimp and it's always good to see Fargas in anything (although his character makes no sense).The screenplay is great--it doesn't shy away from any of the realities of prostitution and is quite graphic. Nothing is really shown but the descriptions and sounds make it quite clear what's going on. It does fall apart at the end leaving a conclusion that was totally unbelievable. Some posters have complained that Russell is too glamorous to be a prostitute. That's true--but who wants to watch a movie with a real prostitute who aren't exactly attractive and are in terrible shape? Also there are a few cute references to earlier Russell films here--one movie theatre is playing "Lair of the White Worm" and another is playing a porno film starring China Blue (the character Kathleen Turner played in his "Crimes of Passion").I saw this originally in 1991 in a theatre in it's NC-17 version. The one I saw on cable was R rated and dreadfully edited. The cuts are obvious and in one stupid moment a word is bleeped out (????). It still works as an R rated but try to find the uncut version. Good movie but the low budget hurts.

Matthew Janovic The comments on this film are pretty amusing, I just hope Mr. Russell has seen a few of them, as it would probably tickle him to-no-end. Come on, people, this is the real deal here, and these are a lot of the realities of prostitution. It isn't pretty, is it? How much value is attached to the life of a prostitute? Ask the King County sheriff's Department and the Seattle Police, they allowed the Green River killer to run-riot for 20+ years.I consider this a pretty pure film for Ken Russell, and a pretty compassionate statement FOR the victims of prostitution. Legalization is (wisely) advocated, and we even get a few of the arguments (from the pimp himself) what some of the drawbacks would be. Prostitution is illegal for means of social control, period. Watch this film, and you will understand that Mr. Russell is a GENUINE Christian with a heart--after all, Jesus consorted with such people, didn't he? They need our help and our compassion, which is the main-theme of the film.Of course, Ken Russell also enjoys the inherent bawdiness of the material-at-hand, or he wouldn't be Ken Russell! The dialog is a dream, and David Mamet's plays/screenplays would be a good analogy. It's also clear that a lot of the dialog came from real prostitutes and their stories. While some have commented on the low-budget look of the film, I don't think that this is accurate. It looks pretty slick cinematography-wise, and the acting by Theresa Russell (no-relation to the writer/director) is astonishing. She is easily one of the greatest actresses of her generation. She's also incredibly powerful in projecting her sexuality as an actor, which is pretty rare.Only Kathleen Turner stands as her equal.So, if you enjoyed "Crimes of Passion" nearly as much as I did (a masterpiece), this will be a wonderful companion-film for you, dear viewers. You either love or hate Ken Russell, and he has always been my favorite form of a high-stress personality endurance-test. Most tend to fail this test, but it takes all-kinds, doesn't it? Once it hits DVD, it will finally be able to be fully-assessed. That it shines so brightly on my (unrated)VHS-copy is testament to its brilliance, and the genius of Ken Russell. A message to be heeded on the "world's oldest-profession." Puritans, take-heed. It shouldn't be a problem to say it. Give this man money to make another film!