'Good Luck To You, Leo Grande' A Review

Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is a dramedy about repressed widow Nancy(Emma Thompson) who hires sex worker Leo(Daryl McCormack) to help her explore her previously dormant sexuality over a series of encounters.

Thompson is a luminary, one of the best of her generation, and her realism and vulnerability, her humility and naiveté rendered for the role is crystalline, magnetic. McCormack, no slouch, rises to her level and gives an equally dynamic, complicated, precise performance. The two have great chemistry and the characters really soar, its beautiful and tender but not without some painful lessons learned and discoveries unearthed.

The film is proficient if a little uninspired as far as it's production. Whether a result of the budget or the pandemic virtually the entirety of the film takes place in a single hotel room and as a result the camera work is extremely limited and relies, almost entirely, on the actors to maintain interest. Which they do extremely well yet it leaves something to be desired simply switching between the same three stagnant set ups for most of the 90 minute run time. The other issue is the score which is near constant and frustratingly indicative, it seems to have no confidence that the audience will understand the emotional nuance that is happening(although it is never really in question given how good Thompson and McCormack are). The limited cinematography and intrusive score almost degrade the film to made-for-TV status given their clumsiness.  
 

A powerful script and two fearless performances make up for the somewhat fumbling production design, but they shouldn't have to.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

Rent It.