An English widower and an Irish sex worker walk into a hotel room…
If you’re screenwriter Katy Brand you know the above isn’t a set up to a punchline, but key elements that create steamy, neurotic, and emotional tension that make her and director Sophie Hyde’s latest film, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 22nd.
Starring Dame Emma Thompson and Irish actor Daryl McCormack, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is a British comedy that takes us on the sexual rediscovery of retired school teacher Nancy Stokes (played by Thompson) as she desperately seeks an intimate experience like no other. In her quest for sexual pleasure, Nancy decides to hire a sex worker by the name of Leo Grande (played by McCormack). Leo is everything Nancy is not, confident, youthful, and sexually experienced.
Confined to the four walls of a hotel room, Nancy reckons with her self image as an aging woman and her own neuroses throughout the film. Although Leo Grande plays a delectable fantasy for the clients who hire him, there is something in particular that intrigues him about Nancy. The two eventually build a mutual understanding of one another through their private sessions together.
Post screening Zoom Q+A with Director Sophie Hyde, Screenwriter Katy Brand, actors Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack
At its core the film is about human connection and why vulnerability can be just as scary with or without your clothes on. Emma and Daryl’s onscreen chemistry is undeniable and creates both an interesting and sexy dynamic. Daryl McCormack plays his character so effortlessly cool and shines bright enough to be one of Sundance’s breakthrough stars.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is an emotionally rich film to be enjoyed by anyone looking for a good laugh and cry all in the same evening.
You can learn more about the film and the 2022 Sundance Film Festival through the links below:
https://festival.sundance.org/program/#film-info/61ae0d6714aef7e26f1bf469
https://festival.sundance.org/#
