In this entertaining comedy-drama, Emma Thompson brings compelling and insightful compassion to her performance as Nancy, a widowed former teacher who decides to hire the services of ‘Leo Grande’ in pursuit of sexual (re)awakening.
Daryl McCormack (Isaiah Jesus from TV’s Peaky Blinders) plays the enigmatic ‘Leo’ with an air of professional charisma and seasoned confidence, providing the perfect foil to Nancy’s highly-strung and nervously verbose search for satisfaction. What follows is a frequently hilarious, well-observed, and surprisingly moving character study.
Shot during lockdown, this remarkable two-hander between Thompson & McCormack is another gem from director Sophie Hyde (following 2019’s spirited Animals), which, in Thompson’s bravely intimate performance, explores the joys and vulnerabilities of sex.