Meine Stunden mit Leo

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.

A truly original movie in a day and age where formulaic crap dominates. If you are prudish, this is not for you. The whole movie is about an older woman's interaction with a male sex worker so it is certainly not appropriate for all viewers, but such a well written and well acted movie that I actually came here to write a review. Well worth taking the time to watch this.

Holy smokes. Amazing actors in this movie! I'm super picky! See my list.. it's all good stuff!. At first while reading the description of this I thought no thanks. But so glad I gave it a chance! Just wow! Not sleazy whatsoever! Just fantastically talented actors doing their job! This one gets an A+ I was glued to my tablet the entire time! Couldn't look away! Didn't want to miss a moment of it! That's when you know it's good!! DARYL IS JUST ABOUT THE MOST TALENTED BEAUTIFUL THING IVE SEEN! More plz!

So well acted. In the hands of clumsy performers, this script would be horrifying. But it wasn't and so it isn't. When we want sex there are always other hungers, other flavors that we desire. A widow seeks adventure, a sex worker seeks affirmation, perhaps praise that was never freely given. All in all a "feel good" movie in more ways than one.

This movie is at its best when the two leads are talking and revealing their innermost selves to each other. The acting is very good, the writing generally good with sensitive direction.

There are some points that are questionable though. It feels like a play and not a cinematic experience with the action taking place in one room. Emma Thompson blurting everything out at the waitress at the end felt ridiculous. And lastly, if you reverse the sex of the roles, is it still valid or just tawdry?