![]() She also joined the all-star ensemble for "Good Luck to You, Leo Grande" has room for both.During this period, Metcalf appeared in such films as Uncle Buck (1989), JFK (1991) and Leaving Las Vegas (1995). There is a moment when Emma Thompson stares at her naked body in the mirror, probably for the first time. "Leo Grande" has a light touch, and the dialogue is often hilarious, but depth is never sacrificed. It's healing and cathartic and just plain old fun, fun with no object other than it's fun to have fun. Julian's monologue is not just about pleasure. Who else would've taken the time or cared enough to do it right?" When it was over, I felt like I'd done something, something worthwhile. For a while there, I didn't think I was gonna be able to do it. This woman hadn't had an orgasm in maybe 10 years. Her husband didn't care about her any more. "The other night, that night I met you at the hotel, I was with a woman. I thought often of the haunting moment in " American Gigolo" when Julian ( Richard Gere) leans against the wall, naked, and opens up about what he does and why: Also revelatory is the film's non-judgmental attitude towards sex work. "Leo Grande" cares about sex for older women, and not just sex, but the baggage associated with sex, and how that baggage robs us of joy and fulfillment. It's a relief to see a film so frank about sex, and so open to sex's complexities, especially when so much of current cinema is sexless to a disheartening degree. This is a testament to the script, but also to McCormack's performance. He easily handles the more troubled aspects of Leo's life, the flickers of unease when Nancy starts pressing to know more about his "real life." Leo is not a cipher or a symbol. McCormack is extraordinary as Leo, approaching the character with no condescension. Human interaction is the main event here. There's nothing fussy or overdone in the film's look, nothing to distract. The hotel room is shot by cinematographer Bryan Mason as though it's a vast space with different rooms: sitting on the couch has a totally different feel than sitting on the bed, even though the areas are just three feet apart. The structure of "Good Luck to You, Leo Grande" is simple, almost like a stage play, but the execution clearly took meticulous care. She has no idea what pleasure even means. She didn't realize the focus would be on pleasure, whatever form that pleasure takes. Nancy thought she hired Leo to have some sex. It's not like Leo touches her and she melts instantly. She isn't going to untangle that in a two-hour session. For her, sex is associated with disappointment and loss. There is a moment early on where Thompson, always amazing but at her best here, begins to weep. Fascinating philosophical territory opens up, where things like intimacy, aging, and the importance of sexual pleasure, whether it's with yourself or with someone else, enter the room. What happens between them is, of course, sexual, but so much else is going on. She's probably never said any of it out loud before, and the words tumble out of her mouth. Instead, he asks her questions about her experiences. Leo doesn't push it, or reassure her that he'll make her come, no problem. Nancy tells him straight out that she's never had an orgasm, nor does she expect to, so he shouldn't even try. It's part of his job, and he's very good at his job. There are times when a totally inappropriate motherly vibe comes out of her, and she worries he's being trafficked, or that he feels demeaned by being there, or grossed out by her body. Nancy is a mess, whip-sawing from self-hatred to over-sharing to near-hysteria to business-like statements, flung at him like a weapon. Leo is kind and open, funny and confident. Sex sure doesn't, especially not with someone as terrified as Nancy. Things don't happen in a linear way: emotions rarely do. The film is broken up into four separate "meetings," and each meeting has its own flow and rhythm, with jagged edges, reprieves and pauses, beautiful and funny moments, as these strangers get to know each other in what is a transparently transactional relationship. She rents a posh hotel room, where he joins her. Completely breaking her strict patterns, she hires a sex worker named Leo ( Daryl McCormack), whom she somehow found on the internet. Emma Thompson plays Nancy, retired and recently widowed, vividly unhappy, and at the limit of her ability to endure her own unhappiness. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |