To Leslie

The character was so repulsive that at first I didn't think I could ever find one redeeming quality in her. She was odious. So since I didn't yet know anybody else's character, and since the whole thing was getting to be a real bummer, you know, like real life can be, I thought about dumping the whole show. But out of curiosity, I decided to hang on a bit longer.

It paid off big time. This is a great movie. It is not preachy, not judgmental, you have no idea how it will end, and it does a satisfying job. The acting is great, the script is fantastic, and the story has total credibility. I'm glad I stayed with it.

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.

"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+

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.

A rollercoaster of emotions with a tremendous performance by Andrea Riseborough. It really is one of the best performances of the year and will most liklely (but hopefully not) end up as one of the most underrated performances. I really liked the energy Riseborough pushed into her character. At first you would think she straight out overacts but this was just one facette of this very complicated but extremly natural character. She really was great and showed off all her acting strengths.

The rest of the cast was good too. We have Allison Janney in a smaller role who is okay but has one fantastic scene towards the ending.

I really loved Marc Maron. Not only becuase he had such a warm and sympahtic character, but also becuase he pulled it off so well and put so much heart into it. A great performance that deserves a shoutout.

Other than that there was not a single bad performance. Its a very good character study and thanks to a great direction really pulls all the strings that are needed. Surprisingly atmospheric too in a way, at least it felt like you can touch and feel that area it takes place and its characters.