To Leslie

"To Leslie" is a scrappy film with a lived-in feel, but Maron's performance stands out with its low-key sincerity as a counterweight to Riseborough's nervous turn. Sweeney is drawn to Leslie, but his tendency to indulge her despite her alienating others eventually leads to a conventional ending that's more fantasy than reality.

If Andrea Riseborough miraculously manages to pull off a surprise Best Actress nomination after last week’s surprise rush of grassroots support, it will be well-deserved because she’s pretty darn great in this. And the movie is nice, too! It’s perhaps too familiar and predictable to really soar, but it ambles along affably and the supporting performances are quite good as well.

Human trainwrecks can be riveting - especially if the performers are great & the story's honest. This fulfills the first requirement, but lies by omission on the 2nd. While it mercifully does not try to make me feel sorry for the lead, it does deliver Maron's inexplicable saint to help deliver the character out of darkness. The film's message is true - people can turn around late in the game - but it ignores all the costs imposed on taxpayers & long-term, intergenerational damage to the son.

As nice, pleasant and laid back as a movie about hitting rock bottom can be - a little too cute and sanitised at times, but a satisfying little redemption story, given some extra richness from Riseborough's well-tuned performance (stopping just short of histrionic) and Maron's steady-as-a-rock support work, which nearly steals the film from under his star! To borrow a recently used cliché, its heart ultimately does defeat the overall familiarity (and predictability) of the material.

It's the sort of redemption tale that might easily have crumbled under the weight of "look how much I can act" antics and too much serious worthiness but the sweet relationship between Leslie and Maron's character grounds the film.

Despite its familiar story, "To Leslie" is a great showcase for the talents of Andrea Riseborough and a strong character study that is worth watching. The honest direction and writing, along with the strong performances from the cast, elevate the film and make it a memorable experience.

Wow... now that was an acting masterclass! Incredibly well hit portrait of a charismatic one-woman-army who has elevated ‘autonomy’ to her one and only value in life (a forced upbringing is suggested). The ending falls short, mostly because of the character of Sweeney, who has too much of a fairy tale vibe going on if you ask me. In one last scene she is standing behind the tiny place with the pocket bottle and you feel her whole struggle in one shot - that is SO well done.

It does feel like just another junkie story for quite some time, but Riseborough's performance eventually manages to lift it slightly above that.

#tolesliemovie is a small film with a giant heart. @andreariseborough gives the performance of the year, and @AllisonBJanney, @marcmaron, @realowenteague, @AndreRoyo and Stephen Root are all incredible. Please go find this gem, directed by @filmbymichaelmorris!

Sonhadtogetridofher-backatend

The kind of miserabilist indie film we keep seeing every year again and again. Andrea is great, though, and helps carrying the film through, despite its schematic frame.

Andrea Riseborough is my new favorite since I saw her in Alice & Jack, where she plays an upper class with a cool facade. In this, quite the opposite. In both movies, she brilliantly portraits an unlikeable woman that undergoes a transformation. Fairytale-like some would say, but not totally unbelievable, since the impact of drinking versus not drinking can be significant. It manages to be somewhat realistic while at the same never a horrible thing to watch. Even when Leslie is at her lowest. I

Yalnızlık üzerine 1 film. Piyangoya kazanan taşralı annemiz, altı yıl sonra parasız kalır. Otelden atılan annemiz, önce oğlunun yanına, sonra eski eşinin yanına gider. Fakat, ayyaşlığından kurtulmalıdır. Andrea Riseborough'un harika oynadığı film, yalnız kalan dertli insanların hikayesini anlatmış. Başarılı. Kalbinizi inciten 1 film. Hem sinirli hem sevinçli. Filmin sonunda, Annem ve oğlum. Dertler derya olmuş. Bende 1 sandal. Devrilip batmışım. Boğulmuşum ben. Yalnızım ben yalnızım. Yalnız

Fuckin' Maron...

As celebrity Twitter says, it's a small movie with a big heart. It's also a story you've probably seen several times before, though Riseborough's performance does stand out.

Britishname Longsurname pulls through in an average well-shot film

While a little bit Sandrine Bonnaire from Varda's "Vagabond", a wildwoman who takes advantage of others' kindness and refuses to pull her own weight, Leslie's character isn't intended to make you think. It's a sentimental movie, with everyone learning their lessons and attaining happy closures.

Such a well acted and fragile little film. Andrea Riseborough was born for this role. And I'm glad they went in the direction they did, for I don't think I could have handled another set-back at that point because it was so beautiful.

Andrea Riseborough is phenomenal. She's always been phenomenal.