Katy Brand

For the dramedy Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, 63 year-old Oscar-winner Emma Thompson bravely agreed to the first fully nude scene of her career. In the film, Thompson plays uptight Nancy Stokes, a widowed, retired school teacher who books a hotel room and hires a much younger male escort, Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack), to help her achieve her first orgasm.

Why am I crying at this movie? Like literally from the opening moments of Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, I was sobbing. This is supposed to be a comedy, or a dramedy, at least: light, funny, diverting. So why was I bawling? It’s because we don’t see “older” women — Emma Thompson is 63 — onscreen quite like this.

Except for the unwieldy title, this film satisfies on every level — writing, acting, cinematography, subject matter. Good Luck to You addresses a little known concept in most movies, that is, the pleasure of a woman, and it does it with élan, humor, compassion, and understanding. It’s hard to watch, not because it’s about sex but because it’s about honesty.

Nudity and sex may bring the curious to Good Luck to You, Leo Grande but many viewers will be surprised to be moved more by the touching emotional journey that the characters take. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, about a middle aged woman’s sexual awakening, rests entirely on the performances of its two leads who elevate the premise to a tender tale of affirmation and self-acceptance. Daryl McCormack as Leo, a hunky sex worker and, especially, Emma Thompson as Nancy, the uptight widow who pays for his services, bring more introspection and nuance to the frisky material than one might expect

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is full of talk (with a little sex thrown in), but becomes incredibly meaningful, layered, and ultimately life-affirming. This is all within the context of sexually unfulfilled widow ‘Nancy Stokes’ (a never better Emma Thompson) hiring sex worker ‘Leo Grande’ (up-and-coming Irish actor Daryl McCormack) to take him through the sexual paces on a list she’s put together of sexual experiences. She is a retired teacher and mother of two grown, seemingly needy children. She reveals early on that she’s has never had an orgasm. He presents himself as a professional with a job to do, a job he does well. Nearly the entire film takes place in one hotel room, and through their interactions and intimate conversations they are both changed in profound and fundamental ways.

Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is magnificent with a whip-smart script and fabulous performances. Daryl McCormack is charming, sensual, and immediately puts the audience at ease. There’s something about his presence that is calming and elegant. You’re drawn to him. He gives a flawless and exceedingly nuanced performance. Emma Thompson is sheer perfection. Watching her work is a pleasure, no pun intended. She astonishes me with her choices. They are so organic that I often forget she’s acting. She carries a universal vulnerability that speaks directly to the audience.