If I were to summarize the plot of ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ in a few words, it would be as follows: Nancy, a widow in her fifties, is widowed and longing for skin-to-skin contact, and Leo Grande, a handsome cowboy, is about to make his appearance.
From resistance to intimacy, their bodies and minds are drawn together and Nancy is rejuvenated after this serious game.
This story seems to have a strong sense of ground-breaking literature, but it uses several scenes of sexual play to make the most contemporary response to the theme of women’s self-perception and body liberation.
Emma Thompson, a veteran actress, also contributed one of the most moving images of the year for us.
The story of ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ revolves around four encounters between two very different individuals.
The old-fashioned retired teacher Nancy and the tender and considerate young “male companion” Leo, from age to appearance, from life to character are full of strong contrasts.
It is as if they are standing at the two ends of the scale, examining and playing with each other, and finally reconciling with themselves while achieving what the other wants.
Nancy and Leo’s first meeting at the hotel is not a smooth one, and the formal meeting sets the tone of the film’s light comedy.
Nancy wants to explore new areas of the erotic world with Leo. While she is excited, she has many concerns, and her sense of morality keeps pushing her to the brink of desertion.
In contrast, Leo is gentle and sophisticated, persuading Nancy to let go of her ego and embrace pleasure in an almost professional manner.
Except for a very few scenes, the vast majority of the scenes unfold in the same hotel room, strung together by the clues of their four dates.
With each date, the main characters’ relationship undergoes a subtle progression.
In the first scene, Nancy is the nervous client, and her uneasiness is best calmed by Leo.
In the second act, as an older woman, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to conceal her maternal nature in front of the young man, trying to discover the wounds under Leo’s veneer of perfection, even thinking she can untie his heart.
The conflict in the third act escalates inexorably because of Nancy’s “assumptions”.
Nancy wants to break away from the relationship of a mere physical transaction and desires to establish a more intimate connection with Leo on a practical level.
And Leo, who was torn through the protective layer, changed his usual polite and considerate, and lost control of his emotions for a while, thus bringing their interaction to a freezing point.
The conflict at this point is so heated that the reconciliation at the end is particularly moving, and the last “deal” between the two ends with Nancy’s climax.
And it’s not just physical satisfaction, it’s also the moment when two broken people inside lick each other and decide to accept themselves.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ is written to a textbook level with unexpected twists and turns and minimal scenes that explore the emotional depth of the characters in all directions.
If Nancy’s discomfort as a female client provides most of the laughs in the first two meetings, her courage to confront her desires and grievances becomes more and more amazing as the exchange progresses.
Nancy and Leo are full of real awkwardness and wonderful sparks as they test each other and move in and out.
The confusion of women (especially the middle-aged and elderly) in the face of their desires is expressed in Nancy’s words and actions in an unobtrusive way that is truly heartwarming.
In this sense, ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ can be seen as a “coming-of-age movie” – despite being over 100 years old, Nancy completes her initiation into her own body with a girlish curiosity and obsession with her own body.
The last scene is incredibly moving, the entertainment industry is filled with too many “women as objects of desire”, despite the beauty of their bodies, but they can not escape the fate of male gaze, consumption, and even exploitation.
In a time of growing feminism, ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ has delivered a beautiful video answer.
The terrible climate underscores the preciousness of the film, and Emma Thompson’s gestures for feminism in and out of the theater are touching.
More importantly, in this female-written, female-directed story, women finally become the subjects of desire, and despite being slightly shy, are finally able to boldly express their desire for sex.
Related Post: ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ Rotten Tomatoes is 95% fresh, IMDB 7.1.
Related Post: ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ Review:A journey of growth under the face of sex comedy.
