Emma Thompson gives a very brave performance as a repressed sixtyish widow who decides to hire a professional escort to make up for the unfulfilling sex life she had when she was married. Fueled by Thompson's spiky intelligence and keen timing, it quickly moves from a comic exploration of female sexuality into an honest depiction of self-love and what prevents us from getting there. That dynamic also includes the escort (portrayed with polished compassion by Daryl McCormack) who unapologetically does his job on regular time-stamped appointments. Except for the appearance of a minor character late in the movie, this is a two-hander (sort of speak) that runs only 97 minutes. However. Katy Brand's perceptive screenplay and Sophie Hyde's sensitive direction manage the brevity with ease by highlighting the two stellar performances at the movie's core.

What a terrific film!

If you had told me the general gist of 'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' out of context, I'd have predicted a dull and dreary 90 minutes or so were ahead of me. Thankfully, the film itself is a delight. Before watching, I only knew of the poster and thought it was strictly a sex comedy, so was expecting a silly, fast-paced, if forgettable, age gap romcom.

The film is, thankfully, much more than that. Emma Thompson is just brilliant in her role, while Daryl McCormack is superb from beginning to end - cool to see him in a larger role than in (the awesome) 'Peaky Blinders'. It's perfect casting, the two absolutely nail their performances and are a joy to watch onscreen together.

The one location (for the most part) doesn't hamper things, if anything it only adds to events. I was particularly impressed with the dialogue, especially the more comedic moments. There is one line involving Rolf Harris which was, perhaps, a misstep but all in all it's pretty sharp. It has a story to tell and one that I think it portrays very nicely.

A widow 'of a certain age', Nancy (not her real name) books a hotel room and a fit young sex worker, Leo Grande (not his real name). Nancy never had an orgasm during thirty-one years of married life, so she has some catching up to do.

Emma Thompson's performance and Katy Brand's crisp script convey very believably the awkwardness and nervousness Nancy feels. Take out the sex and nudity (please don't!) and this could have been written by Terence Rattigan to be played by Deborah Carr back in the 1950s. There is a degree of theatricality to the film, although Thompson gives her all and courageously bares her all.

Daryl McCormack matches Thompson for both bravura and skill as the young escort who's not as self-confident as he pretends. More explicit even than Netflix's SEX EDUCATION, this is not a movie for porn perverts, it's a serious study of desire, disappointment and desperation. Both its stars deserve to pick up awards next winter.