Review by Jon Donnis
Let it be known before I start writing this review that I am a big fan of Sally Phillips and have been probably since her Smack the Pony days, so I might be a little biased.
Sally Phillips plays Gina, a middle-aged woman working in a middle management job, in a middling sexless marriage to a mid-range husband. On her birthday her friends arrange for a male stripper Tom (played by Alexander England) to turn up at her house and give her a show. She turns down the offer of "extras" but instead realising he is booked for 2 hours; she gets him to clean the house.
After being the only one made redundant and hearing that Tom's moving company is about to be closed down by the very same people who fired her, she remembers Tom cleaning her house topless, and the light bulb goes off in her head, turn the moving company into a cleaning company, with the gimmick being that men will clean topless and give frustrated women something to ogle. After Tom has sex with the first client, Gina soon realises that this could be an even better idea, men that will not only clean your house but also take care of those sexual frustrations.
Insert slightly awkward men who quickly learn the art of pleasuring women, as well as the sexual awakening of Gina and you have a very decent comedy drama.
Sally Phillips is of course great as the lead, very convincing as the shy older sexless woman, finding herself not only helping other women but also herself as she grows.
There is some nudity in the film, as well as some nice shots of Sally Phillips bum, now I do not think they used a body double here, but I would like to think that Sally Philips at some point said "I have a great arse, so please get a nice camera shot". But that might just be my filthy mind.
Regardless of that, this is a really fun, enjoyable film, with some great comedy moments as well as some very serious drama, and it walks the line between both very well.
The Good
It has the gorgeous Sally Phillips in it, and she is awesome as Gina. A fun story and satisfying ending.
The Bad
I wish we could have had a little more of the sexual awakening of the Gina character.
Overall
Really good film, I recommend it to everyone old enough to see it.
I score How to Please a Woman a solid 8.5/10
Out now on Sky Cinema, and is screening now in Australian cinemas.
