PERSONAL SERVICES

Christine Painter is a sexually naïve waitress and single mother who pays for her teenage son David's tuition by renting London flats to call girls. When a landlord confronts her for illegally subletting the flats and falling behind on the rent, Christine gives him a handjob in lieu of rent. After one of her "tenants", Rose, refuses to pay rent, Christine realises she can do sex work herself in the flat Rose abandons.

Christine is charged with soliciting and pleads guilty in court. Soon she hatches a scheme with fellow sex worker Shirley to provide strictly kinky services such as bondage and fetish roleplay to an upscale clientele.

They rent a suburban house, where they are joined by their "maid" Dolly.

Christine attends her sister's wedding, where Dolly is accidentally exposed as transvestite to the groom's mother. Christine's father and sister angrily denounce her for spoiling the wedding.

Christine's father later visits the brothel for sex and reconciles with his daughter. The brothel enjoys brisk business, but soon attracts the notice of the police, who raid the house on Christmas Eve.

When Christine appears in court to be arraigned, she is relieved when she realises the judge is one of her main clients; she then imagines the courtroom filled with all of her clients as judges.

Christine’s brothel is raided by the police on Christmas Eve, and she is brought to court. She is relieved to find the judge is one of her main clients and imagines the courtroom filled with her regulars as judges.

The ending lands as a wry commentary on British hypocrisy, showing that the very people who prosecute Christine are also her most loyal customers. By visualizing her clients in judicial robes, the film satirizes the blurred lines between public morality and private vice, underscoring Christine’s role as both outsider and essential service provider in a society eager to keep its secrets under wraps.