If “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” was a book, it might be a perfect night for a tipsy reading club. And the movie about an older woman hiring a male prostitute feels as easy as an updated bullying of a romance novel fantasy directed by Sophie Hyde and written by Katie Brand, but “Leo” “Grande” is sex and intimacy, power dynamics and human connection.
Actors Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack discover and steadily build the character’s fascinating and complex chemistry as these hands unfold in a gently luxurious yet confusing hotel room. The movie begins with a refreshing handsome Leo walking down the street with a day greeting. He is a professional with a personality. He knocks on the door of the hotel room where Nancy Stokes is waiting. She secured his service, but is still nervous about that decision. When Leo arrives, Nancy begins to chat — a lot. She has the following reasons: She is a retired school teacher and widow. She isn’t doing anything remotely like this. And “this” means taking her own joy seriously.
Leo is a sex positive in his twenties from Ireland. His family ties fray and Nancy reclaims control when she feels exposed, as well as pulling those threads intrigued by her guilt. Class issues are reflected in her judgment. But the movie feels strangely mom about race. (McCormack is interracial.)
Nancy may not be flexible enough for all sexual positions on her checklist (she wears reading glasses to consult), but Thompson is terribly agile in the screenplay ginger and revelation. is. A relatively newcomer, McCormack gracefully traverses between wit, compassion, and vulnerability. In the most transactional sense, Nancy is even better than what she paid for. Thanks to the delicate dance of Thompson and McCormack, so does the audience.
Good luck, Leo Grande
It is rated R for sexual content, nudity, and blue words. Execution time: 1 hour 37 minutes. Take a look at Hulu.
