Student Services (2010)

Wow! Such a good movie.

Absolutely the worst movie.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

It's one of most important movies I've ever seen. I thought it would be about horny girl, who wants to get some extra money. Trailer, honestly, doesn't put a good picture what this movie is about. On the other hand, maybe it's because it wants to attract average audience to the truth about prostitution and not just people, who feel concerned about different social issues. I think the film is done really well in meaning it pictures all nuances of prostitution very precisely and realistically without getting too heavy psychologically. It's not a thriller or erotica, it's just a story of life of one girl, who took a decision to try out prostitute services. What's important, she's smart, and sees things not through the lenses of a young naive girl, but someone with in-depth outlook on this job. I definitely recommend it for everyone, who wishes to know, what prostitutes actually go through.

After picking up the terrible British Sex Comedy Not Tonight Darling I started looking round on Ebay for films that a friend would be keen in picking up.Catching my first glimpse of her recently in the exquisite Populaire,I was pleased to spot an "Erotic Drama" starring Déborah François,which led to me getting ready to find out what the "student services" are.The plot:Studying in university,Laura finds herself struggling to pay the student fees and cover all of her other bills.Looking for tips on how to pay the fees,Laura ends up stumbling on a prostitution website.Seeing the cash that men are willing to pay in order to meet women,Laura decides to dive in,and agrees to a meeting with Joe.Meeting Joe,Laura soon finds herself struggling with being happy with the cash,but deeply troubled by what she has to do in order to raise the fees.View on the film:Made as a TV movie,writer/director Emmanuelle Bercot and cinematographer Christophe Offenstein present the sex in a surprisingly bare manner,with Laura being shown fully naked,and her clients being left topless (although Bercot shy's away from going below the belt with the guys,despite being fine going there with the women!) Stylishly bringing Laura into the "adult business" world with quirky pop-up E-Mails and comedic " running meters" Bercot freezes the viewer in witnessing the pain that Laura suffers,as tough close-ups lock in on the anguish cast across Laura's face.Adapting an infamous bio by "Laura D",the screenplay by Bercot attempts to thread a tough Drama with flirty Sexploitation nods.Whilst Bercot strips off the fragile state Laura is in as her relationships start to crumble,Bercot sadly fails to make the comedic edges sparkle,due to Bercot keeping a distance from Laura's lighter side,and also giving Laura no one good to react to,as all the men are shallowly drawn as total,2D scum. Displaying bravely in the deeply uncomfortable sex scenes, Déborah François gives a superb performance as Laura,thanks to François delicately balancing Laura's weaknesses with burning desire to complete her student services.

Under the title "Student Services", I watched this film, not realizing it was a made-for-TV-movie based upon a true story.The actress who portrays the main character, Laura, acquits herself fine. She plays a college student who has trouble paying her bills, so she turns to adult on-line ads to find meet men who will pay her for sexual favors.The film is not erotic. Laura, for the most part, detests what she does.The film may have been designed to put forth a political point of view--that too many students have financial problems, so they turn to illegal activities. Someone who lives in France might understand a political solution to this French problem, but others probably will not.It is certainly no documentary. And it does not try to be.As a drama, it offers little that is new to the genre, and Laura's path is marked by detours and confusing behavior, defusing the drama.

Okay, you can compare Student Services (what a horrible, porno name in the first place) to Lolita or The Lover, but what makes this different than Looking For Mr. Goodbar I suspect is the fact that the woman who becomes the prostitute does not die or otherwise meet her downfall, but instead, regardless of the horrible things she is forced to go through, she achieves, passes her college exams and moves on in life. That is the most horrible aspect of this film, what I suspect is behind the negative reviews of it, that are not judging the quality of writing, acting or direction--all of which are superb--but instead that judge the morality of the story, which instead of handing us some Christian values, hands us a glimpse of a possible truth. She didn't fall for that final offer and good for her. Good movie. Check it out.