Review of To Leslie (2022) by Unclewillard — 06 Jul 2023
Hard to say you enjoy a movie like this that is so dour and full of unlikeable characters, but I did. Andrea Riseborough's performance is the highlight, of course, but Marc Maron, Owen Teague, and Andre Royo surely held their own.
My biggest criticism is that it just seems very thin. The movie always seems pregnant with revelations, but they never come. Feelings of doom and that something truly awful is about to happen are roiling underneath the surface, but never manifest.
When you take out those performances, it's just a story about a loser who blew her lottery winnings on booze while abandoning her son. Add to that, and still loving the performance, Leslie is an **** She seems to expect salvation as if it's owed from Marc Maron and her son.
She never feels like someone who is seeking redemption. In fact, quite the opposite. She acts as if she is owed her horrible behavior for...existing? Everyone around her eventually pays a price, but her only price is sobriety, which should be a win for her too.
At the end, the big emotional payoff is hollow for me. Lot of folks barely recover at all if they do even beat alcoholism, and she got a diner and her family back. All she had to do was get sober and ask (demand) it, which put all the emphasis on a fantastic performance.
I love Andrea Riseborough, she's a chameleon, and I can't wait to see her put this into a really good role that pays off for her and the character. Leslie isn't it.
This review of To Leslie (2022) was written by Unclewillard on 06 Jul 2023.
To Leslie has generally received very positive reviews.
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