Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
A gratifying two-hander that proves this is the prime of Miss Emma Thompson.
Sex please, we’re British: Daryl McCormack and Emma Thompson.
Headlines have honed in on Emma Thompson’s ‘first nude scene’ aged 62, but seem to have forgotten that she’s no stranger to sex scenes. Her first film, The Tall Guy (1989), featured plenty of wild romps with Jeff Goldblum, where bums crushed milk cartons, rolled over toast, and played the piano. Despite a sexy marketing campaign, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande isn’t what the headline stealing nude scene might suggest. A virtual two-hander, this quietly profound character study uncovers a different form of intimacy. It’s a shame that such a deeply intimate film went straight to streaming in the US. In the dark of a cinema, there’s a voyeuristic nature to watching two people get to know one another in a hotel room. The story could easily be adapted for the stage and like a play, deserves full attention.
Retired school teacher Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) hires young Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) to assist in ticking items off her adult wishlist. With schoolmarm precision, she relays her expectations to Leo, adding that achieving the ‘Big O’ would be a first — though not required for satisfactory marks. Leo is up for the challenge, disarming Nancy through conversation and cool demeanour. Through regular rendezvous, Nancy’s quest for sexual awakening leads to larger discoveries about the importance of self love.
Just as daring as going au natural, is the vulnerability on display. Emma Thompson is in tip-top shape, reminding us that she ranks among our most gifted actors. McCormack is equally fascinating to watch, giving gigolo Grande more than meets the eye. There’s another kind of undressing at play in the script written by Katy Brand, one filled with discovery and healing. Director Sophie Hyde cleverly closes the curtain on Grande sex until the characters are truly known, something oft overlooked in cinema. The hotel room itself feels like a safe, sex-positive space, rather than a constricting or seedy one, with the camera consistently providing fresh perspectives. And the costume design is as delicate as the story itself. As boundaries are crossed, Nancy slowly casts off her florals and Leo’s bright colours are brought into the bedroom. Each character emotionally disrobes, becoming a teacher for the other and leaving us all with a lesson in loving.
Thankfully Thompson isn’t finished teaching. This December she transforms into the child-hating headmistress Miss Trunchbull in Netflix’s Matilda, based on the stage musical adapted from the Roald Dahl children’s novel.
CHAD KENNERK
Cast: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack, Isabella Laughland.
Dir Sophie Hyde, Pro Adrian Politowski and Debbie Gray, Screenplay Katy Brand, Ph Bryan Mason, Pro Des Miren Marañón, Ed Bryan Mason, Music Stephen Rennicks, Costumes Sian Jenkins, Sound Steve Fanagan.
Genesius Pictures/Align-Lionsgate.
98 mins. UK. 2022. UK and US Rel: 17 June 2022. Cert. 15.
