Irina Palm 2007

Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune: Irina Palm is saddled with an odd title, an outlandish plot and an unlikely star--notorious rock maven Marianne Faithfull cast as a suburban frump. But it turns out a success Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: This would never have worked with anyone else but Faithfull, who gives a touching performance even as she flaunts her 40-year metamorphosis from porcelain pop diva to elderly bad girl. Read more

Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: Gabarski's low-budget realism is nicely matched to a deceptively stolid performance by Faithfull, who combines infinitely subtle expressions with the smoky, still-sexy voice that made her famous as a '60s pop songbird. Read more

Janice Page, Boston Globe: Even if there aren't many other reasons to give this contrived and too often silly film a chance, Faithfull makes a captivating leading lady. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Genially preposterous and pleasantly diverting, it balances calculation against humanity and generally comes out on top. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Takes the notion of risque empowerment a few preposterous steps further. Read more

Gene Seymour, Newsday: It could have been a delicately witty comedy of manners. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: Director Sam Garbarski must like his early Neil Jordan and Stephen Frears, since Irina Palm plays like a throwback to gritty-but-softhearted English dramas of the 1980s like Mona Lisa and Sammy and Rosie Get Laid. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: [A] lethargically directed comedy. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: Ms. Faithfull turns out to be another actress of a certain age who is well used in a film to which she lends dignity, compassion and gravitas. Read more

Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle: Although Faithfull only sporadically makes movies anymore, it's hard to imagine anyone who could have done this role better. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Philip Marchand, Toronto Star: A pleasingly sentimental British domestic drama. Read more

Andrea Gronvall, Time Out: Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Casting an iconic '60s libertine in the titular role may seem cute, but the actor's sad-clown rictus and faint smiles nullify any deal-breaking bathos. Read more

David Jenkins, Time Out: Read more

Leslie Felperin, Variety: Tonally all over the place, pic is built around a would-be humorous script, but jiggery lensing and gloomy lighting suggest helmer Sam Garbarski is under some delusion that he's making a slice of gritty realism with romantic undertones. Read more

Jim Ridley, Village Voice: Staggeringly inane. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Although director and co-writer Sam Garbarski takes great care in tracing this difficult dramatic path (he has to balance the twin tracks of other people's morality and Maggie's personal course), he can't avoid the predictability. Read more