The tart with the heart of gold is an ancient literary device, and a well travelled Hollywood trope. Leo Grande manages to bring some novelty to this cliched contrivance by making the tart a young, very intelligent, young man, while the person paying for his services is a prim and repressed retired RE teacher. Is that enough to overcome the overworked origins of the relationship?
Set largely in the one hotel room, the action takes us through the first and subsequent meetings of widowed Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson), looking for some spark she never found in her long marriage, and (unbelievably) gorgeous sex worker Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack). Hiring Grande has been a long contemplated act of bravery, of trying to break out of the character life has created for her. And the man offers her whatever she wants from him. Whether that's the simple release of physical sex, or something more, not even Nancy knows at first.
Leo becomes as much counsellor as lover, while Nancy questions him about his job, his family, always probing as if he were one of her pupils. There's some discussion over the role of sex work in society, and hints of how women of 'a certain age' become almost hidden, but there's no real depth or answers.
The script, by Katy Brand, feels more suited to the stage at times, but the pair make the best of what they've been given. McCormack does a good job of overcoming the too-good-to-be-true persona he initially projects and delivering some vulnerability to that perfect exterior. But this is mostly another Thompson masterclass in character creation and building. The opening ten minutes are a delight, Emma excelling as a bundle of anxiety and embarrassed awkwardness, while reminding the audience of the great comic timing she has always possessed. And it is refreshing to see such an honest warts-and-all physical performance from a sixty-something leading lady, something that's still all too rare on our screens.
All of which could make this film sound like a bit of a dud, which is far from being true. It's very funny, exhibits genuine pathos, and has great performances. If the inevitable moment of epiphany seems a little trite, it's also a message that we need. Learning to love ourselves, being honest about our own flaws, is something that still remains so hard for so many. Ignore the clunky title and go and see a movie that offers something for everyone.
(As I left I found myself thinking about the budget for this production - no outdoor locations, no special effects, only 2 sets and a tiny cast, so I wonder what % was spent on the big star name?!)
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