Truly Dreadful Film

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Good concept, poorly executed.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Not a movie i'd watch again to be honest.It jumps around too much, flashback memory scenes etc, and subjects of prostitution and Incest..Not to everyone's taste.It stars, Kelly McDonald as Stella, Peter Bolam as her pimp, and Ewan Stewart as her creepy father.. All really good actors to be fair.The movie is just too slow, with a couple of exciting scenes thrown in, but a bit sporadic.Filmed in and around Glasgow and London i believe, for those of you that like to know locations..I'd give it 4 stars, as it does have some really gritty parts, but overall, it's just too slow.

Another of these indie treats, steered by the young Macdonald, still in her young acting day, who pulls off a dramatic and wonderfully brave performance as a teen prostitute, who with a stable of other equally aged girls, suffers violent blows, ridicule and rejection, not only from clients. And Stella certainly does pull tricks, alright, one involving blowing up a car, in a retaliation, and another, involving sticking a Fisherman's friend, in the orifice of a middle aged client, who's up for almost anything, just not that. Her middle aged pimp, Mr Peters (New Trick's James Bolam) keeps her line, off the drugs whatever, where if not satisfying a client, apology is given in sexual favors to Mr Bolam. He also likes to takes his girls out for ice cream, where in privatude under the rotunda, they have a little bit of an intimate session, which is enough to turn off soft serves, but Stella certainly serves it back. When Stella takes off with her new found boyfriend, Mr Bolam, not happy, gives her a not so sending off present. This is quite a good drama, but Macdonald is what makes it so rewarding, here was another star in the making, who I could definitely see on the rise. We see flashbacks of Stella as a little girl, who's loser of a cowardly father, and unfunny comedian, obviously walked out on. Wait till you see Stella's trick of vengeance here. These Indie treats are great and although SDT, is not the best thing on offer, it does make for an absorbing view with it's comedy and drama, and a couple of disturbing shock moments like that gang bang scene, where Macdonald gives this drama it's spark.

"Stella Does Tricks" tells of a Scottish teen female's struggle to escape a life of prostitution. Sans the glitzy appointments of the usual tinsel town fare and exploitive sex and nudity usually accompanying the subject matter, this austere film focuses on the real problems of the principle; addictiveness of easy money, low self esteem from childhood abuse, etc. With excellent performances all around, especially by Mcdonald (Stella), this film's only flaw is annoying dreamlike flashbacking which is too often ambiguous in an attempt to be poetic. Good stuff for those into sincere, earnest, hardworking reality pix about the socially disenfranchised.

The output from British studios has been mixed to say the least, over the past 3/4 years. This is worth a viewing. It is sluggish over the first 30 minutes, and lacks a narrative direction. However you become drawn into Stella's life and frequent mistakes. A tender movie that doesn't go for the cliche.