Movie: To Leslie
Nominated for: Best Actress
How I watched: Apple TV
When I fell asleep: Nope
When it had me: Royal
When it lost me: Acting in one scene
What systems does it challenge: Is alcoholism a system?
Content Warning: Addiction
A super small move that packs a big emotional punch, this had great performances throughout. We've all seen movies about addiction but this movie tries to offer us something new but highlighting the opposite of addiction, which is connection.
There are connections that serve us and those that very much do not. There are connections that you can never escape and those that you would never want to. There are connections that make perfect sense and some that leave you scratching your head. In the end, the choices you make about where to connect and where to disconnect can make or break your life.
One character, Royal, really elevated the movie for me. Without him it would have been a fine movie with plenty to offer but including him added mystery, concern, humor, heart and surprise. It felt like a lesson for me as a perpetually new-at-this screenwriter. Include some weirdness in your otherwise predictable drama; it can boost everything around it.
There was controversy about this film's nomination. I don't feel that Andrea Riseborough doesn't deserve the nomination, but I still feel like Viola Davis is woefully absent.
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