Review: The Idea of You & Leo Grande
Does contain spoilers, or maybe encouragers depending on your viewpoint.
I have a double-bill for you this time, you lucky bunnies!
Both feature older women with a much younger man, the first sporting an age gap of 16 fictional years, and the second is 34:
The Idea of You – starring Anne Hathaway
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande – starring Emma Thompson
Let’s get the fluff out of the way first…
The Idea of You
Anne Hathaway (who was 40 at the time of filming) plays Solène a 40 year-old single mother, who falls for the 24 year-old (Harry Styles-inspired) Hayes Campbell, (lead singer of mega-famous boy band August Moon), played by Nicholas Galitzine, who was 29 at the time.
So far, so good.
After an accidental meet-up at music festival Coachella (at which Solène was accompanying her daughter and friends), our hero Hayes turns up at her Los Angeles Art Gallery, using his empty apartment in London as the headline motivation to buy lots of art.
Our doe-eyed heroine gives him the knowing look and then says:
“Let’s start with the ceramics.”
Really? The ceramics???
Of all the pieces in your relentlessly trendy Art Gallery, why would you start in the over-sized vase and bowl section?
No one has ever pulled by ‘starting with the ceramics’ Solène!
Why for the love of God, when you have lots of artworks hanging from the walls, would you lead the boy-band hottie over to the pottery?
Shouldn't you both be staring at a gargantuan piece of post-modernistic impressionism which at a certain angle looks like a giant vagina???
You’d need to look like Anne Hathaway to reel him in in Homewares!
Oh.
And we’re off! 🎉
After which, follows a cute, visually pleasing romcom.
Albeit teamed with some odd fashion choices, but hey, she owns an Art Gallery, so she can wear what she damned well pleases!
The plot is undemanding and follows the exact path that you think it’s going to.
So, if you’ve not seen it yet, then I suggest you save it for when you’re feeling a bit frazzled and just want to switch off, or perhaps a sick day when you’re not operating at full capacity.
The ceramics are the only surprising or remarkable thing about it, which is disappointing, as I’m only halfway down my post, hence the need for a second film…
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
The truth is, I only watched this film as I thought it might provide an interesting pairing with the film above.
I’d seen this film’s promo image and decided it wasn’t really my thing.
Emma Thompson playing a miserable older woman who, no doubt, after decades of sexual frustration, has finally hired a young male sex worker to get her rocks off with… or indeed to find out if she even has any rocks.
What a cliché, I’ll pass, thank you.
It’s only due to the vacuousness of the top film that I decided to stomach it at all.
Perhaps I could endure the Oscar-winning Dame Emma frowning meaningfully in expensive lingerie while we listened to her tale of woe.
Maybe I should suffer for my art.
Just to be clear, I do love Emma Thompson, both as an actor and writer.
She embodies the expression ‘there are no small parts, only small actors’, by totally smashing all the other Love Actually actors out of the park, with her snippets of brilliance. 👏
I’ll do it for her… and for that other half-a-post I need.
Off we go…
Emma Thompson (63) plays Nancy, a recent widow who dislikes her children and has never had an orgasm.
Daryl McCormack (29) plays Leo, a high-class1 sex worker.
Given the above imagery, you, like me, have every right to assume this is going to be an awkward affair, with Emma playing a pitiful, put-upon woman, who perhaps has devoted her life to everyone else except herself, but it turns out, she just couldn’t be arsed to do anything about anything to make it better.
Nancy is not a likeable character, you wouldn’t want to befriend her, she would drain you with her relentless inertia and grumbling.
She thinks her son is boring, he takes after his father.
She doesn't get on with her daughter, who is very needy, having been enabled by her mother over the years.
Her career was teaching Religious Education to uninterested teenagers in order to pass an exam. She is well aware that her subject is viewed as the bottom of the pile.
She and her husband (who died 2 years ago) had only ever had sex in the missionary position in their entire 31 year relationship.
She doesn’t seem to apportion any blame on herself for this.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein
Nancy doesn’t seem to have joined the dots on this.
We, the viewers are left to assume she has just moaned and whined her way through her unlikeable life without ever bothering to do anything about it… until now when her husband is safely six feet under.
For those of you who have already seen the film and know what’s in store, I can only apologise for the amount of swearing coming up… but FUCKING HELL I did not see THAT coming!!!
Setting the scene…
[The opening credits have literally only just finished and in walks Mr.D.]
“It’s an Emma Thompson romcom thing, no idea if it’s any good.” I state.
“I like Emma Thompson”, he says, and joins me on the sofa.
I reckon given the total lack of Sandra Bullock he’ll only last ten minutes tops, and then either be asleep, or have exited for a bit of Playstation.
Back to the film…
Meeting 1: a (reasonably priced) hotel suite
Nancy and Leo are engaged in awkward pre-sex chitchat on the world’s most uncomfortable sofa.
Nancy is briefing Leo…
“I don’t like anything going into places that are designed for things to come out” she explained clarifying that she doesn’t like surprises.
What a great line! I wasn’t expecting it to actually be funny!
Anyway, there’s no way she’ll go through with it, we don’t need to be concerned as the audience.
This is Dame Emma Thompson, I’m sure it will all be in impeccable taste.
More awkwardness, and of course, she’s gone off to the bathroom to change into some concealing underwear.
He’s ditching his clothes too… but oh my god, he’s forgotten his socks!
“LOSE THE SOCKS!” I’m screaming at the telly.
How can he in all seriousness lie on the bed wearing a half undone white shirt, black Calvins and red socks!!!
Where was wardrobe? Is the sock manufacturer sponsoring this film???
Nancy emerges from the bathroom and the non-sex chitchat resumes… phew!
She’s stressing about being old and being perceived as a pervert for hiring him. Normal service has been resumed.
“I feel like Rolf Harris all of a sudden.”
More chitchat, no sex, end of meeting 1.
Meeting 2: same hotel suite
Nancy has booked the exact same room, as she likes the familiarity of the same layout… which goes someway to explain 31 years of missionary.
Luckily for us and all concerned she has come with a list of activities this time, phew!
“I’ve brought a little bit of feedback, and a couple of attainment goals for this time.”
Like Leo, I’m also finding it comforting to know what’s on the menu, I don’t want to be surprised.
Item No.1: She gives him oral sex.
Which is quite a relief for me as a viewer. There is absolutely no way they will show any of the ‘action’, double phew!
Dame Emma will just imply a blow job with a despairing look and an almost imperceptible cough.
But before they get to it… HER PHONE RINGS!
Jesus Christ! I’m getting flashbacks of Love Actually again!
“Hello darling…” it’s her daughter, who clearly doesn’t appreciate the hourly rate she’s just interrupted.
Phone down… more chitchat about regrets, followed by the briefest of BJ’s.
Tick. ✔️
Meeting 3: same hotel suite
On with the list, this is getting pricey!
Item No.2: He gives her oral sex.
They get straight down to it!
Oh blimey Emma, we nearly saw your quim just then!
Be a bit more camera-angle-aware will you? Didn’t they cover this off in film school?
Just to be clear, I’m sure she’s wearing a merkin which authentically represents the waxing trends of the era, but I don’t need visual confirmation.
Post-fellatio chitchat… starts off jovial, then takes a turn for the worse when she reveals she’s done a bit of investigation work and found out his real name.
There is absolutely no way they’ll be cracking on with Items 3-5 any time soon, given this level of hostility.
At least we, the audience, are off the hook… for now.
He leaves, then comes back, then leaves, muttering about a refund.
Excellent customer service. ✔️
Meeting 4: the lobby
Revealing that Nancy is no stranger to thrift.
This is indeed a TravelLodge, despite the fully stocked mini bar in the Suite making us think otherwise.
Nancy is meeting Leo in the most depressing hotel lobby known to man.
Oh crikey, the waitress is an old school pupil of Nancy’s, well this is awkward.
This worries me not, I’ve been easing into ‘awkward’ for the last hour and twenty. C’mon hit me!
Not likely… more coffee and a chitchat… all made up… back to the room.
Luckily the list seems to have been abandoned, much to my delight, I really was fearing for No.3.
She finally has an orgasm and he departs… never to see each other again!
The moment
He’s left, she’s left wearing the white hotel robe and catches sight of herself in a full length mirror.
Head tips to one side…
Oh god, no!
Don’t do it Emma, he may have gone but we’re still here!!!
You’ll regret it!
The story has concluded, there is no need for this!
There must be other ways to endear yourself to us as a ‘National Treasure’, despite the fact that Dame Helen Mirren, Olivia Colman and even Miriam Margolyes have all ‘got their kit off’, it doesn’t mean you have to too!
SHIT!
She’s gonna do it!
She’s heading for the belt!!!
FUCK!
She does it.
“WOW! That was brave!” Exclaimed Mr.D and I in unison.
In summary
In all seriousness this is a very captivating film, both leads are hugely engaging and the script is sharp.
The writer, Katy Brand has put the ‘com’ back into romcom. 👏
As Mr.D’s longevity can attest, this film is bizarrely compelling and certainly worth taking for a spin… if I hadn’t just ruined it for you.
Sorry.
Not sorry.
As I seriously enjoyed telling you all about it! 😉
Happy viewing!
K8x
Join in the comments below:
What did you think of either of these films?
Have you ever stayed in a TravelLodge?
Do you, like me, think a Premier Inn is far superior?
Thank you for being here, please ❤️ (below) if you enjoyed this piece, it really helps others find it.
Rave review: Baby Reindeer – Netflix
I am not usually drawn to tales of woe, but since starting this Substack I’ve liked to pay close attention to what everyone else is watching, and therefore have been keeping one foot in Netflix’s Top Ten, hoping for another One Day or The Gentlemen.
Rant & Rave: The Gentlemen – Season 1
The Gentlemen – Season 1 – Netflix I hope you’re all up to speed and have devoured this new Netflix Series, as instructed in my pre-review, otherwise you may want to come back to this post as it does contain spoilers. On the whole, I love, love, loved it! Phew!
By that I mean ‘high hourly rate’, as the recently widowed Nancy says she can only afford two sessions, which by my calculations puts him on about £10,000/hour, given her dead husband is described as dull as ditchwater, so I’m assuming he was a good earner.
These reviews were so funny I'm wondering if they are more comedic than the films.
When you said the writer put the "com" back in Romcom, was that a punn? "Cum/com"? I know, ew. Couldn't resist given the subject matter of the flick. A new genre-- RomCum.
Funnily enough, I also wrote about Leo Grande in a larger discussion, called Researching the Female Orgasm (https://arichardson.substack.com/p/researching-the-female-orgasm). The film was panned in The Times as being on a not-very-important subject (not exact words, but something to that effect) about which I disagree whole-heartedly. I thought it was a very thoughtful film on an important subject, but then I am even older than Emma Thompson and think older women's sexual fulfilment is just as important as everybody else's.