To Leslie

There was one film that got noticed in the final days before the Oscar nominations. That would be To Leslie, a little film headlined by Andrea Riseborough in the titular role. How little was it? So little, you can imagine the gasps when Riseborough, and not the widely expected Viola Davis or Danielle Deadwyler, made it into Oscar's Best Actress lineup. What was it that got the Academy to notice? You'll see.

Leslie struck gold with a $190,000 lotto ticket. But she blew almost all of it on booze and drugs. As the film opens, she's evicted from her motel room and is forced to room with her son James (Owen Teague). That lasts for about a day before he catches her drinking and stealing money from his roommate, Darren (Catfish Jean). She soon lives with her "friends" Nancy (Allison Janey) and Dutch (Stephen Root), who hate her and eventually lock her out.

Eventually, she makes her way to another motel, whose proprietor Sweeney (Marc Maron), offers her a housekeeping job. She's habitually tardy but is otherwise highly committed. Her former friends and even onlookers still regard her as gutter trash. She's soon determined not to waste this opportunity for a new life.

This time, it's TV director Michael Morris who makes his feature debut. Ryan Binaco's screenplay begins with a montage of Leslie's life up until the lotto win. She's already destitute by the time the film opens. Her abrasive and needy attitude isn't endearing for anyone on or off-screen. Her former friends aren't much better either. It's when Nancy throws her out with little provocation that I started to sympathize with her. At least James was justified after she stole money for booze. What else did she do wrong to Nancy? 

Things start to improve once Sweeney enters the picture. He's a good man, but he won't let Leslie walk all over him. He nearly fires her when she's late too many times. But he also believes in her potential. He's understanding when Nancy berates Leslie at the county fair for her selfishness. He still looks for her when she runs out after an argument. He also sees potential for her late film idea to run a cafe. Overall, he and his chemistry with Leslie are likable. We also get his business partner, the eccentric Royal (Andre Royo), who's as funny as he is sympathetic.

It improves when Leslie commits to improving herself. She's already proven herself of wasting every good opportunity. But she also proves herself a good worker despite her tardiness. The aforementioned argument starts when Sweeney shows her a tape of her on the news after her win. She later asks a complete stranger if she's trash; the guy doesn't. That scene is surely what cemented Riseborough her Oscar nomination. The film dissects her selfish exterior to show her self-loathing interior. The film shows us the value she has as a person. Her reconciliation with Nancy and James ends the film on a hopeful note.

You can now rent To Leslie on your favorite streaming service, like Amazon Prime (again). Its first act is a bit tough to watch. But it gets better once certain characters are introduced. Its surprise Oscar nomination is understandable once you see its lead's redemption arc. And that's all I have to say about it. 

Next time, an anime film.