Nancy corrects him. “Most people say she’s sexy for her age. But Nigella, Leo maintains, is empirically sexy at any age.”
In Nancy’s own internalized ageism, she is one of the many conceptions Leo challenges her on throughout the course of Hyde’s heart-wrenching, comical–and, yes, sexy drama. Most of the film takes place in the same hotel room, over several meetings. There, Leo is not so much a teacher but a partner in Nancy’s process of learning how to give and receive pleasure. Although, they mostly just … talk.
Nancy and Leo’s conversation mainly revolves around the different ways they view the world. The question of how age relates to beauty and pleasure is constantly on the table, as Nancy is insecure about her own age. Whenever she thinks about Leo being hesitant, this makes her feel ashamed of her own aging body. ..
Leo, a high school student, is curious about the world of sex work and why people might want to do it. He wonders if it’s demeaning or if it’s something that feels good. Along with the other themes in the film, this one deals with the orgasm gap and how women can achieve pleasure without having an orgasm.
That’s why, despite all of Nancy’s reservations, she and Leo have come together in the first place. Leo is a man who gives pleasure of his own choice, and Nancy is a woman who wants to shed preconceptions and experience sexual fulfilment for the very first time. Playing an utterly charming pair with dynamic chemistry, Thompson and McCormack each slowly peel back these layers of the other’s character. ..
The dialogue in “Katy Brand” is natural and funny, courtesy of accomplished screenwriter Katy Brand. The on-the-nose topics are woven in naturally, which makes the film enjoyable to watch. ..
In the fourth and final part of the movie, Hyde and Brand effortlessly bring to a stunning conclusion what could have easily been contrived themes in the wrong hands. But with their artful direction and writing, buoyed by Thompson’s and McCormack’s vulnerable performances, Leo Grande could never have been a film of flat ideologies.
Leo Grande is a film about sex, but it’s so much more than that. It’s about healing, autonomy, compassion, and self-love. Thompson and McCormack bare all in this powerful film and it’s a sight to see. ..
