Self-discovery is usually something that we associate with young adulthood, a time for exploration and finding out what makes us tick and what we like. But certain cultural mores and life’s roadblocks bring some to this point later than others and a new film explores an elderly woman from a different era embarking on this journey late in life.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande finds us in a hotel room with Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson), a widow without much sexual experience at all, much less satisfactory sex. Now a retired schoolteacher, Nancy is determined to broaden her horizons and finally experience some selfish pleasure in the bedroom. To achieve this, she decides to book a hotel room and hire a young sex worker who calls himself Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack), a confident, dapper man who takes pride in being good at his job. Over the course of several sessions, Nancy and Leo try to conquer her hangups and apprehension so that she may finally achieve the satisfaction she was searching for. However, their foreplay conversations may lead to them both discovering new things about themselves outside of the bedroom as well.
The way that director Sophie Hyde structures this film stands out as the film develops. The story mostly takes place in one location, a nice hotel room, but despite this fact Good Luck to You, Leo Grande maintains a cinematic feel and never drifts toward coming across as a stage play as single location films can often slip into. The fact that the film focuses almost exclusively on two characters and their multiple interactions over the course of its story also put this movie at risk of coming across as a stage play, yet the believable chemistry of Thompson and McCormack and the quality story written by screenwriter Katy Brand. The script is filled with witty comedy interwoven with the emotional components of Nancy’s journey allowing the audience to experience the same full range of emotions that the lead character must be feeling onscreen, allowing for an empathetic experience. Thompson is endlessly empathetic as a older woman coming into her own late in life, on a journey not just to find her sensual side, but find her voice in general using intimacy as a conduit. McCormack’s Leo is as gentle, patient, and attentive as he attractive, which is ultimately what Nancy needs just as much as physical touch. Watching the two play off of each other and eventually provide what the other needs for the emotional aspect of their lives keeps the audience engrossed and invested in the film and its story, despite the lack of multiple sets or presence of actors other than Thompson and McCormack. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande rests on their shoulders and the actors are able to handle the load.
While on the surface it is true that this film is a study of intimacy, all that goes into it, and its effect on the human condition, the true unifying theme is about being comfortable with one’s self, something that Nancy and Leo are both struggling with when we first encounter them. For Nancy, it is her self confidence as a woman and her sexuality, but for Leo it’s how he makes his living and his distant relationship with his family. The decision on how to visually depict sex scenes between the two onscreen and how the full extent of their intimacy and character development regarding their comfort level with who they are and their ability to say so aloud was an astute directorial choice by Hyde that reinforces its themes about intimacy and how comfort with oneself is directly linked to being able to be intimate with others. It drives home the film’s point perfectly and in an artistic way that is the perfect cinematic example of show, don’t tell.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is well acted, driven entirely by the performances of Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack who display spot on chemistry that mixes curiosity, flirtation, and caring interchangeably and appropriately. The film will make you laugh, make you feel for both Nancy and Leo, and make you think about the nature of intimacy and self-image and confidence. Sophie Hyde’s directorial choices hit the right notes and execute what could have come across as too bare bones and sparse for a feature film into a quality experience at the movies.
Image: Hulu
