Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

Nancy Stokes doesn’t know good sex. Whatever it may be, Nancy, a retired schoolteacher, is pretty sure she has never had it, but she is determined to finally do something about that. She even has a plan: It involves an anonymous hotel room, and a young sex worker who calls himself Leo Grande.

  • Released: 2022-06-17
  • Runtime: 97 minutes
  • Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • Stars: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack, Isabella Laughland, Les Mabaleka, Lennie Beare, Carina Lopes, Charlotte Ware
  • Director: Sophie Hyde
 Comments
  • mrdanielkanewilliams - 19 April 2024
    A goodish, sexy comedy
    In this film Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) is a widow who has hired an escort called Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) to give her a crash course in pleasure because her 31 years of marriage were very sexually unsatisfying and she's never even had an orgasm!

    And during the first two acts of the film there are loads of one liners that made me giggle but not really laugh out loud. One that stood out is when Leo Grande admits that his Mum thinks he works on an oil rig. But in between these one liners are some awkward sex scenes. Although one awkward sex scene that made me laugh was when Nancy keeps trying to work up the confidence to give Leo a blow job, but she keeps getting interrupted by things like a phone call from her daughter. And the film gets more awkward in the 3rd act when Nancy and Leo have an argument and Leo storms out. And the film gets more and more awkward until it's conclusion where I think they missed a good opportunity to do one last joke.

    But I think the reason why this 3rd act wasn't changed was because it showed that sex and life in general isn't always perfect, sometimes it's really awkward and messy but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable. And we're all human and we have flaws and needs and they're nothing to be ashamed of. But even though this is an important message, I think the film got too serious when it tried to portray it and I think the film would have been wetter if it had have stuck to being a light-hearted comedy.

    Although overall I did have fun watching this comedy and I might watch it again. I do also think that Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack should be praised because for about 90% of the film it's just them two talking in a hotel room and I think they did very well to keep this mostly entertaining.
  • Cirdl3 - 2 January 2024
    Heartwarming Story But...
    Well done Sophie, Sophie can made a movie looked like disgusting movie (sex between young man and elder woman) into a touching heart warming movie, with a sad touching story. At first I thought it would be a gross movie with long age gap relationships, but turns out it was a beautiful story movie, with beautiful sets, with beautiful actors and acting.

    Leo backstory gives us a sympathy with him, touching our heard, felt like a mother and son in every conversation, great dialogue conversations. I can say it's written well. Within one place this movie didn't made me felt bored or sleepy at all.

    On the other hands, the age gap kinda made me scared, but they are already a legal and grow up person. Sometimes the story kinda feels little bit a rush. Overall it's a pretty movie, good to watch with your partner or when you feel bored.
  • Phillippa_me-me-me - 11 January 2023
    God, what a cringefest!
    Utterly predictable and boring storyline. The dialogues are often contrived and not very convincing in the way they are delivered. The attempts at humour are... Well, laughable, but not in the way it was intended.

    Equally bad is the underlying message: that after living a life of sexual repression and overall dissatisfaction, all you have to do is hire someone who conveniently oozes altruism and doesn't mind to sell his sexual favours, and you'll be okay. On top of that, the fact that this is a white British woman using a mixed-race young man's services (aka, exploiting him as a sex object) sadly hits too close to home, considering Britain's not too distant colonial past.

    But hey, maybe this film's merit lies in giving old folks permission to start enjoying themselves a bit more! I guess that's something.
  • kevingoodwin - 27 December 2022
    A Proper Adult Movie
    A well crafted story of two damaged souls who connect through a male sex worker booking, made by a lady of a certain age.

    Beautifully written, acted with style and tenderness by the two main leads.

    For those expecting a sex romp, forget it, this is too sophisticated and dialogue driven for that. Their past and probable futures laid bare, the journey of only a few weeks is fascinating for those interested in the human condition

    A clever, at times tender, often amusing British film for people who actually want a movie with a good script, well acted and thought provoking.

    Don't let this put you off. A movie for the over 40's for once.
  • Xstal - 9 November 2022
    The Therapeutic Gigolo...
    It's time to take the plunge, and try stuff out, for years you've been unable to, checkout, so you're hiring a man, a metaphorical kind of fan, to raise a flame of which you have, a little doubt. When you meet it all seems like a bad idea, you're quite anxious, with a little bit of fear, should he stay or should he go, there are things you want to know, so you talk a lot, it's all very sincere. Extra couplings are arranged over the weeks, finding more than what you thought you had to seek, it's a therapeutic weave, and you finally achieve, to walk away as if you've just started to peak.

    An engaging and rewarding tale of bravery and honesty about who you really are, and what you want.
  • movieman6-413-929510 - 14 October 2022
    Film that playfully shows how the lust and discomfort surrounding sex can work.
    Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is a new drama comedy directed by Sophie Hyde, director of 52 Tuesdays and Animals.

    The film is about Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson), who, after a decent life as a teacher, nurturing mother and wife after the death of her husband, decides to try something new in her life. She and her husband have never really had many adventures in the bedroom and she is now trying to change this.

    For this she has hired the young sex worker Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack), but despite her desire for more action in the bedroom, it remains a bit uncomfortable for Nancy. Besides her husband, she has not shared the bed with others. Leo tries to give Nancy extra confidence, but the two only end up having good conversations. Nancy and Leo both find good conversation partners in this way, but the question remains whether more happens.

    With this film they respond well to the lust and discomfort around sex, because despite a person's need, this can remain uncomfortable, especially in the beginning. The film also shows how this can be for a sex worker and how he can approach and treat the customer in the right way in calm ways. For both parties, this is often something they prefer to keep private and as far from their personal lives as possible. In addition to these sides of sex, the film also highlights how this can change as you get older.

    The film also takes place almost alone in the same place of a hotel room with only the two characters of the story. For the story, Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack simply spent a lot of time together eating, walking and sleeping together. In this way, both actors have built up a good relationship with each other, making the final film less uncomfortable. Furthermore, this also ensures a good and believable chemistry between the actors and their characters.