How Emma Got Her Groove Back
Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 1:30PM by Jason Adams
Oh thank the heavens, a leading role for Emma Thompson! It's been too long since we've seen one of those (does Late Night count? I never saw Late Night) and this one sounds like a doozy -- Dame Emma will be starring in a comedy titled Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, which will have her playing a recent widow who decides to spice up her life with all the things she missed during her long marriage, chiefly among them some high quality sexual intercourse. So she finds herself a "sex therapist" in the form of a young man in "his early twenties for a night of bliss." These are Variety's words, not mine -- I would be much, much more vulgar.
As I have no doubt Dame Emma would and perhaps hopefully will be! Her boozy bawdy real-world presence, the one we get to see on red carpets and talk shows, doesn't get utilized nearly often enough on-screen, so the thought of her starring in a proper sex comedy sounds like, well, a, dare I say, "night of bliss." The film will be directed by Austrailian director Sophie Hyde, who made Animals with Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat last year -- no word on other casting yet, but of course our minds turn to the young actor playing the sex worker. Who'd you like to see play opposite this grand Dame?
Emma Thompson
Reader Comments (16)
If it has to be an Australian, why not Brenton Thwaites or Ryan Kwanten?!
Tampoffel: Looking at Kwanten 8 years ago? Unless they're willing to bump up the sex worker's age, he's 35 and looks it in the photo I saw. Thwaites might be able to pass for early 20s, though.
She's hilarious in Late Night. The film is far from perfect, but she does everything right.
I'm excited to see her in this. She's such a great actress, and while she can do a lot, it's always great to see her just play a woman in a contemprary without any accents or gimmicks (e.g., Last Chance Harvey).
I love her.
I really hope Nathaniel's prediction that she is in line to become the next Judi Dench or Maggie Smith comes true. She was one of my first adult "favorite actresses," and I would love to see her routinely headline films and tv series.
PAUL MESCAL
Brenton Thwaites? That guy fucking sucks ass. He can't act for shit.
There are so many sexy Australians but since i just watched HOLIDATE (i'm so ashamed) I have Luke Bracey on the mind.
but my favourite male sx worker onscreen in recent years was totally Jake Lacey in that Jessica Chastain movie about the lobbyist. what was that called again?
Nathaniel - Miss Sloane - and i cosign the sentiment
There's a spanish short film with the same plot but with a much older woman.
Wait, why does he have to be Australian? If we're doing that maybe KJ Apa? He's from New Zealand.
I mean Paul Mescal IS the right answer though, but if we're casting a wider net I'd submit Stephan James or Mena Massoud.
She’s amazing in Late Night. Do yourself a favour and watch that performance ASAP.
Love her so much, and yes, you should see LATE NIGHT. It's lightweight but enjoyable, and she makes it worth watching. (John Lithgow too.)
As for who to play the sex worker...Timothee Chalamet, of course! KIDDING. That would be kind of icky, actually, maybe because he still looks 12 to me. Then again I find it hard to get sexually excited about twentysomethings in general - they look like babies to me.
If we go just a leetle older...Henry Golding suddenly comes to mind. I'd enjoy seeing him rock Emma's world.
If there's a god in heaven, it will be Harry Styles.
Conor Swindells.
Sophie Hyde is a really interesting director and I've really liked her last two films so definitely eager to see what does with a big moviestar.