GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE movie review

MOVIE TITLE: GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE

This racy and edgy film is available on Hulu on June 17, 2022

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 37 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

In GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE, two-time Academy Award winner Emma Thompson (Love, Actually) embodies the candor and apprehension of retired teacher Nancy Stokes, and newcomer Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders) personifies the charisma and compassion of sex worker Leo Grande. As Nancy embarks on a post-marital sexual awakening and Leo draws on his skills and charm, together they find a surprising human connection.

I got a press screener to watch this movie without knowing anything about it, so I was shocked when the movie began with a meeting in a hotel room with a sex worker. I adore Emma Thompson, so that’s why I wanted to watch it. FAIR WARNING: This is NOT an appropriate movie for kids and many adults.

In fact, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to even do a movie review for this film. I finally decided to simply as a warning in case people see that it stars the fantastic Emma Thompson and decide to watch it without knowing about the content.

THINGS I LIKED:

Emma Thompson is absolutely outstanding in everything she does. She’s why I watched the movie because, honestly, the subject matter was very uncomfortable for me to watch.
As handsome as Daryl McCormack is, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Emma Thompson. She was fantastic. He was great too, don’t get me wrong. I had never seen him in anything before.
The film addresses sexuality, especially in mature women, a topic that many will find interesting and personal. In the story, however, it’s not just about the act but finding a deeper connection with someone and even yourself.
The scenes where they’re just talking are wonderful.
Human touch and intimacy are, indeed, powerful and important. I think a lot of older woman, especially, will be able to relate to Emma Thompson’s character.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Full frontal nudity. We see Emma Thompson in all of her glory. Of course, like most Hollywood movies with a double standard, the male actor is NOT shown from the front. We do, however, see him completely naked from the rear. I just really don’t want to see that much skin and action in movies and I didn’t want to see Emma Thompson’s birthday suit. Emma Thompson said that appearing completely nude in this movie was the hardest thing she has ever done. I suppose it was a personal acting challenge she wanted to conquer, but no one was forcing her to even appear in this role.
It didn’t seem believable to me that a former religion teacher would make the choices she did in the story. Hollywood seems to love to portray Christians as complete hypocrites.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

This is definitely not appropriate for children and for some adults!
LOTS of talk and portrayal of sex, positions, and intimacy.
F-bombs

THEMES:

Intimate relations
Loss and love
Pleasure
Confidence
Ageism
Body shaming
Being comfortable with one’s body
Self-acceptance
Human connection
Honest
The human touch

FUNNY LINES:

None worth noting down.

INTERESTING LINES:

“Conflicted is interesting.” – Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack)
“I don’t want to be 16 again. Being 16 was bloody awful. I want the feeling of being 16 again. That power…I didn’t know I had it. It was wasted on me.” – Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson)