To Leslie 

Directed by Michael Morris

Starring Andrea Riseborough, Owen Teague, and Allison Janney

Released in theaters (US) Oct. 7, 2022

Available from several streaming services, including Amazon Prime

The Plot: Leslie, a manipulative drunk, squanders $190,000 she won in a lottery, abandons her child, and lives a peripatetic life, hustling her friends and family for shelter and stealing money to buy alcohol. Towards the end of the film, she seems to be on the verge of recovery.

What I Liked About It 

* The action felt real and the plot felt realistic.

* The setting and the music were appropriate to the plot.

* The acting was good to very good.

What I Didn’t Like So Much 

I’ve been in constant touch with drunks and drug addicts all my life. What I’ve learned is that they are very good at telling you what you want to hear. What they are very bad at is recovery. It’s hard to watch a movie like this, whose depiction of the problem is so realistic, and feel hopeful at the end.

Critical Reception 

* “Riseborough’s performance is nothing short of spectacular. She doesn’t compromise, she doesn’t hold back, but she doesn’t compromise the character with any sort of fake flamboyance.” (Owen Gleiberman, Variety)

* “To Leslie is a movie about hitting bottom but also a story steeped in grace – and even, with its understated, lived-in aesthetic, tinged with a bit of fairy tale.” (Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter)

* “It’s a story often told, but this movie tells it well.” (Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times)

You can watch the trailer here.