There Is Something Beautiful About 'Leo Grande'
Starring Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack, Isabella Laughland
Rated R
Comedy, drama
Run time: 1 hr, 37 min
Directed by Sophie Hyde
On Hulu June 17, 2022
I only found out about this movie because a friend sent me the trailer weeks ago. I’d almost forgotten about it by the time it dropped on Hulu, but Pop Culture Happy Hour had my back and did an episode on it. Considering I would watch Emma Thompson literally do anything, when she’s combined with a relatively unique premise and an easily accessible film, I am basically the exact target audience this movie was made for. Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is a wonderful character study, where not a ton happens, but we get to see some incredibly well rounded characters without idealization. We get to see the good, the bad and the ugly. In a world of antiheroes vs the ultimate hero, it’s rare to get to see such a complete rendering of a human, especially when it would have been so easy to slip into stereotypes.
The premise is simple: an older woman named Nancy (Thompson) has recently lost her husband. Upon this event in her life, she decides to take matters into her own hands, or at least, someone else’s hands. Nancy reveals early on that she has never had an orgasm, due to herself or her husband, who was the only man she had ever been with. So she takes a step outside her comfort zone and hires a sex worker named Leo Grande (McCormack) in hopes of rectifying the situation. Roughly 90% of this movie takes place in the hotel room, alternating between physical and emotional intimacy. Despite the basic plot line, it’s anything but predictable. Rather than going the lewd route, Leo Grande paints a picture that is both unusual and endearing.
It’s hard to write too much about this movie, because one of its virtues is its simplicity. We get almost zero glimpses into both characters’ lives outside of what they convey to one another during their “sessions” in the hotel room. Little by little, the facades drop and more is revealed, whether intentionally or not. Leo Grande manages to avoid stereotypes: there’s no “hooker with a heart of gold” or a lovelorn widow who feels guilty about choosing to be with someone new. They’re humans, plain and simple, and while clearly their virtues are played up in order to make them likable early on, the movie doesn’t shy away from the cringy parts of their personalities. We learn that Nancy was a religious studies teacher and, especially due to her being older, didn’t realize a lot of what she taught the young women in the class was actually slut-shaming and victim-blaming. Leo Grande has no qualms keeping up walls between them and lying about his life and family, and often gets extremely defensive when any aspect is questioned.
Leo Grande is an important movie for many reasons. For one, it is a champion of a woman who doesn’t fit the normal starlet type taking charge of her physical happiness, and it avoids any pitying or patronizing takes on this mentality. Nancy struggles with her decision to do this, and has a handful of problematic views in regards to sex work, but Leo is kind, patient and understanding about this uncertainty. He also makes a point to correct her when possible, stopping her from demeaning him or his profession. He coaxes her into discovering more about herself and retraining some aspects of her mentality. It’s a journey that is beautiful, awkward and endearing. And it’s a movie that I really hope more people will see.