User Reviews

Okay, I've *never* seen a movie like this one. (Literally only five actors in it, and two only have like one line each. There are only two filming locations: a hotel room and a hotel restaurant with the five actors.)

The premise is refreshing. A widow to a 30+yr marriage who has never really had a positive sexual encounter-just very mundane and routine. Two years after her husband's passing she decides it's time to become "worldly" (as she describes it). There are many awkward scenes because of her serious and severe insecurities. The character Leo does an amazing job of redirecting focus to Nancy and only breaks to his actual real life person (Connor) twice. Once when he's infuriated with the fact that Nancy cyber stalked him to obtain his real name, and the second when they meet again for the first time after the blowup (which is also their last encounter sexually upstairs after this meeting).

The only part of this movie that was "expected" was the ending where she has her first orgasm of her life-but the symbolic part is that she gave it to herself while looking at him (oddly enough he had just scratched his ass lol)

This was almost like a coming of age movie, but not. There was something so seriously raw and real about it.

It could have been shortened or less re-hashing situations (as others have mentioned in their reviews), but I think that would have made it less relatable to the viewer. It was SUPER AUTHENTIC to how I imagine this sort of situation would go. Nothing wrong with it following along the lines of reality.

BRAVO to the writers and actors alike. VERY WELL DONE.

Greetings again from the darkness. Normally when we see a movie where the focus is almost entirely on two characters conversing while in one room, we expect it to feel like something better served in live theater. But director Sophie Hyde does succeed in keeping it cinematic, despite the dialogue-centric script from writer Katy Brand and a setting that is 95 percent within the confines of a single hotel room. An extraordinary performance from two-time Oscar winner Emma Thompson and solid complimentary work from Daryl McCormack keep us interested in the characters.

Nancy Stokes (Ms. Thompson) is a middle-aged woman fidgeting in a hotel room when Leo Grande (Mr. McCormack) knocks on her door and asks if he may kiss her on the cheek. It turns out Nancy is two years a widow and has hired sex worker Leo to assist with knocking a few things off her to-do list of unfulfilled intimate activities. See, Nancy has only ever had sex with her husband, and now she longs to feel young and excited again, and hopes this pay-for-it adventure will scratch that itch in just the right way.

Their initial meeting is fascinating to watch. Nancy, a former religious studies teacher, is a planner, list-maker, and steps-follower. She's also filled with nervous energy and a bit embarrassed by the situation ... clearly wanting to move forward, while trying to convince herself she doesn't really want it. On the other side of this would-be tryst, Leo is the master of calm demeanor and smooth talk. He's a professional who takes pride in the "service" he provides, and he recognizes what to say (and when) to try and put Nancy at ease. It's clearly not his first rodeo. In this initial meeting, Nancy and Leo literally dance around the sex, and instead focus on conversation. She wants to know all about him, while he just wants to the job he was hired for.

Subsequent meetings (jobs, hook-ups, trysts?) between the two occur in the same room at The Duffield Hotel, and Nancy continues to poke the personal boundaries that Leo tries to uphold. As happens with human nature, barriers begin to break down. This intrusion changes the dynamics and causes quite the mood shift as personal lives and relationships open wounds that are probably best left to a situation where one hasn't contracted for the sexual services of another.

Most of the dialogue seems believable and true to the characters, and Ms. Thompson does much of the heavy lifting. The only exceptions to this would be Nancy offering to talk to Leo's mother (What the heck? That's ridiculous even for a former teacher.), and when Nancy recalls asking her class about the impact of pay-for-sex ... a discussion that seems a bit too on point for the film. A truly annoying song plays over the opening credits, but later an Alabama Shakes song plays with perfect timing. When Nancy's real name is revealed, that too produces a cringe, but mostly we are reminded that the perfect fantasy sex partner will always be just that - a fantasy. Ms. Hyde's film leaves us with this thought ... will "empirically sexy" become the go-to compliment for romantic partners?

Opens in theaters on June 17, 2022.

People who write, "Emma wasn't sexy enough" are missing the point. EVERYONE should love their bodies and the pleasure that can be had, physical and emotional, with or without other people.

That sounds pretentious, but--I'm sorry, Emma T is an onion, peeling back layer upon layer of an older woman, a woman who's never had satisfying sex. How brave her character is, to hire a sex worker...how brave Emma-the-actress is, to bare both body and soul for the camera, for US.

A breathtaking performance. Am I the only one who related to every sigh, to every single cringe of insecurity, of calling yourself "embarrassing" or "pathetic" before someone else calls you that first?

I think not.

And Daryl McCormick was a fantasy come true--built like a Greek god, sensitive, giving, and aware that he was a fantasy.

Their give-and-take, their off-and-on...I have a feeling I shall be reliving this in my mind for a long, long time to come.

And for those who say, But if you reverse roles, it's creepy: It has ALWAYS been men, older men, more powerful men, younger women; the men have power, and the women trade their beauty. In this story, she is older, but she is vulnerable. I rarely see men as vulnerable in other stories.

This is something I have never before seen on film. When the minority up-ends the majority, when the weaker overcomes the stronger--that is a story. Male privilege, we've seen. Turning the tables, especially with extraordinary actors like Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack, is here a revelation.

Interesting that the film's title is wishing HIM luck--she has found her happy ending.

There are a few ways to view Good luck to you Leo Grande; see it as a kind of comedy with dark humour or some preachy know it all lecture on sex and generations but I found it very voyeuristic and shallow. First of all it assumes that most women of Emma Thompson's age would have led practically sexless lives - how far from the truth. Most women of her generation were extremely active when young in the sexual revolution and would be the opposite of her lack of experience. Yes, there is the aspect of growing older and having less sex naturally and not having the beauty of youth to acquire desirable partners - but this film goes a step too far. It suggests that older women are in fact sexless and with major hand ups - this all portrayed with a female script writer and female director. Astounding!!!! A male director would have most probably put a far more complimentary spin on an attractive older woman - look at Anne Bancroft in The Graduate. Instead we are presented with an extremely handsome male 'prostitute' so kind and nice and intelligent and a total fabricated stereotype - what an insult to male sexuality. Leo Grande character is unrealistic as portrayed in this film. He is portrayed with a massive mother complex (of course!! Why else would he be seeking sex for money with matriarchs?). An absolutely unrealistic script and scenario painted over with a luxury hotel room and of course bringing in one of his client's ex pupils in the coffee shop? ( she is a teacher) YEAH RIGHT - completely ridiculous . The film is a manipulation of reality - sorry but older women are having hot sex naturally and most male prostitutes are not going to be doing it for free like at the end of the film because this is sell out - film makers today in this woke generations can't handle the truth . Emma Thompson is a great actress no doubt about it but the baring of her totally naked body and its flaws at the end was just pure voyeurism and a cheap shot to convince the audience that after this improbable scenario - she suddenly accepted herself? No way - as usual we are spoon fed saccharin and tosh.

The good news here is that if you take the time to watch this film, you will see two remarkable performances. Most people are raving about Emma Thompson...and she is good here...as always. But I'm going to tip my hat to Daryl McCormack for a truly remarkable performance. I was not familiar with him until watching this film. I think he is a young actor to watch.

However, on the negative side, the movie is a bit too long...particularly the middle. And, taking place almost entirely in a hotel room, it is almost entirely talk, talk, talk. It's great dialog and well presented...but any film where you have basically one setting can begin to feel very closed in.

I don't want to sound like a prude, but are there really "sex workers" that are this sensitive? I don't know, but I find it doubtful that someone this caring would choose to be a sex worker.

The romantic side of me (as in 'suggestive of an idealized view of reality') wanted the end of the film to find our two main characters deciding to have some type of ongoing relationship...in my hopes more an almost mother-son relationship...although I knew that wasn't likely in the cards.

This is a film worth watching even if it does drag in the middle.

Darryl McCormack was a delight to watch...but the delight ends there. Although I imagine it was quite unrealistic for a sex worker to be so patient and compassionate with a client, I loved seeing Leo's suave skill at his job. Unfortunately for me, the film became preachy in its sex positivity message and also quite unrealistic. Nancy admits she rejected older potential lovers in favour of Leo's youth, beauty and sexual prowess. As other reviewers have pointed out, if the sexes were reversed, the same message would be distasteful and unacceptable. An interesting side note is the drama that ensued when Nancy breached Leo's boundaries by cyber-stalking him and later offering to intercede with his mother!!! The last scene with the former student/waitress was just embarrassing to watch.