Good Luck To You, Leo Grande

Emma Thompson walks the fine line between pathos and comedy in Sophie Hyde’s wonderfully awkward, sex positive film.

Nancy Stokes is a 55-year-old widow who is yearning for adventure, human connection, and some sex. Whilst her husband provided a home and something resembling a life, good sex was never on offer. But he’s gone now, and Nancy has a plan.

Curator’s note

Emma Thompson walks the fine line between pathos and comedy with acrobatic dexterity in Australian director Sophie Hyde’s wonderfully awkward, sex positive film. While Thompson knows exactly what it signifies for her – as a star – to get her kit off with a much younger man, she skillfully eschews all ‘knowingness’ in her portrayal of Nancy, who is adventurous and apprehensive in equal measure. Her irresistible BAFTA-nominated performance also gives dynamic space for relative newcomer Daryl McCormack to shine as the charismatic sex worker Leo, whose efforts to second guess his client’s needs – as well as deflect her interrogations – demand an altogether different kind of performance than the one Nancy is paying for.

– Clare Stewart