To Leslie

There's nothing wrong with treading the same ground and exploring the same themes as other movies. To Leslie was an entertaining rendition of the "down and out, get back on your feet" trope. It was a good first movie for Michael Morris, who still needs to shake off some of that TV sentimentality. The movie exists in a world that's real enough to keep you engaged, but not so visceral that it turns you off. It meanders it's way from uncomfortable and tense to the territory of a 90's feel-good movie.

The film is essentially a vehicle for Andrea Riseborough who is always good, but I think she overdoes it a bit. For the most part she was excellent throughout this movie, but when the character ramps it up to 10 she tends to hit 11. There were times I had to remind myself that she's British because she assumed the identity of a Texan so well. Honorable mention to Marc Maron who impressed me. For the most part his role was nothing to write about, but I only ever knew him as a comedian and I was surprised to see him holding his own extended dialogues with an actress like Andrea Riseborough.

Everyone loves a winner, which is why so many movies showcase success. If you are going to showcase failure, you'd better know what you are doing. And the team behind TO LESLIE -- director Michael Morris and writer Ryan Binaco -- know exactly what they are doing. The script in particular is so precise you could study it in film class. Literally 60 seconds after you encounter the central character (Leslie) winning a lottery, you re-engage with her years later -- drunk and mean and homeless. The viewer is hooked. The dialog throughout is fat-free, and the direction never once relies on cheap tricks (like loud background music) to make a point. The unspoken truth with these sorts of stories is that Leslie could be you, or someone you know. We all make mistakes. And we all try to fix them. Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes we don't. Andrea Riseborough as Leslie gives an awesome performance; and Stephen Root, way outside of his usual comfort zone, is a standout. Marc Maron is in a class by himself -- he could give acting clinics on "empathy." Easily one of the most engaging films of the year. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

I found this film evocative and provocative. It was a deep dive into the pain and wreckage that is left in the wake of addiction. Andrea Riseborough transforms herself into a down and out alcoholic who is on a day to day survival program. Her non-verbal acting is over the top good.

Mark Moran appears as an unlikely hero who demonstrates what the power of believing in someone can do.

Andre Royo (loved him in the Wire) plays a lovable sidekick with no shortage of street wisdom.

I highly recommended this movie to anyone who is interested in a human drama about a human being searching for redemption.

Sure, this type of story has been told before, but never this well, and certainly never this authentic and real. It almost felt like there was a hidden camera following a real-life Lee around battling her demons and going through life.

I'm not a fan of slow-paced films, but every second in the just under two hour runtime was used to perfection. I actually wanted more. This is TV film director Michael Morris' full length feature film debut, and what a masterclass achievement his directing was. Along with Ryan Binaco in his second ever writing credit, they managed to create a truly atmospheric, powerful, honest and multi-layered complex portrait on alcohol addiction.

As great as the filmmaking is, the Oscar-worthy performance by Andrea Riseborough as Leslie "Lee", is the icing on the cake. She is clearly an underrated actress, and I can't think of anyone that could've been cast or perform better than she did. Every expression - tear, smile and stare she gave told a thousand stories. Her chemistry with Marc Maron as Sweeney was undeniable. For that matter, all casting and performances were outstanding - props to the casting director. I only wish we saw more of Allison Janney.

Even the cinematography and score were perfect. Along with the excellent sets and landscape that fit every scene perfectly, there really isn't much to critique in this gem of a film. It's the perfectly made social commentary and character study of its topic.

To Leslie needs to be a curriculum study in every category of film school - from writing, directing, acting, cinematography, etc. It truly is one of the very few near-perfect films out of my 1500+ reviewed films, and a well deserved 9/10 from me. A standing ovation to all cast and crew is in order.

"To Leslie" was already on my watch list for the year before Andrea Riseborough was nominated for an Oscar, but her surprise nomination moved it to the top of my queue. Fans of her performance would have you believe it's the greatest thing ever etched into the eternity of cinema heaven, but I kept my expectations in check because we're talking about social media in 2023 and mankind has lost its ability to have perspective on literally anything.

And I was right to be cautious. Riseborough gives a good performance in a solid film. It's certainly better than many performances the Academy has nominated over the years, but not as good as many others. She's a very mannered actress, which has always prevented me from liking her in other things. I've never liked her more than I did in this, so there's that. But the bar wasn't set high. Her performance is showy and Oscar-baity, and she never for a second stops Acting with a capital "A."

The movie around her is standard issue addiction drama, misery porn for about an hour and a half and then a pat and tidy redemptive ending tacked on when the writers knew they had pushed the audience's endurance for feeling crappy just shy of the breaking point.

The film's best asset and the one nobody is talking about is Marc Maron. If anyone from the film should have nominated, it's him.

Grade: B+