In the movie My dates with Leo the actress questions the desire of women over 60. A meeting with a star with unfiltered beliefs.
“Hello! Do you prefer to do the interview in French or in English?” When Emma Thompson answers the phone, she does so in the French she’s been practicing since she studied at Cambridge. But, despite the charm of her accent and the ease of Moliere’s language, twenty minutes with her is too precious to waste a crumb. The London actress is of rare calibre, as they are few and far between. Frank, complete, free. She gives, without the jargon, but with the unfettered energy that some high-flying Englishmen privilege.
In the video: the trailer My dates with LeoWith Emma Thompson
At a time when social networks and bad buzz sanitized speeches, nothing seems to improve her enthusiasm, whether she’s evoking Hollywood failures, ecofeminism or her latest film, My dates with Leo.
Forty years in the entertainment industry even seem to have increased her thirst for justice and equality tenfold, but also her desire to wear female characters that help push the envelope through her choices. In this Sophie Hyde comedy, due November 30, the actress slips into the shoes of retired schoolteacher and widow Nancy, who decides to offer herself something she’s never known with her husband: an orgasm. Then arrives at the hotel room, an almost unique setting for the film: the young and charming Leo, escort boy who very quickly understands his client’s fears, uncertainties and shame. Through this sixty-year-old heroine, the director and her actress, not without humor, question the instructions that women suffer from. Or how their relationships with age, motherhood, gender, and men are conditioned by a system that supposedly instills in them to hate their aging or imperfect bodies, to silence their imaginations, to sacrifice their well-being for the sake of others. .
humor so british
Encouraged by her actor parents, Emma would dream big at Cinemascope, achieving public success over the years (Love Actually, Harry Potter, Bridget Jones’s Baby…), recognition of moviegoers (Remains of the day in the name of the Father…) and two Oscars (for his role Back to Howards End and for the script Reasons and feelings). Then we imagine the figurines on the mantelpiece of his London home or office. I had to forget his absurd humor. so british. They’re actually on display in her bathroom because, she says, “they’d be funny anywhere else.” This is also why we love him. for her humility and this second degree, which together with her intelligence make her one of the most irresistible actresses in the film galaxy.
Madame Figaro. – Sophie Hyde’s filmoffers another look at women 60 and older. Did you have to participate?
Emma Thompson. – I’ll tell you what I always tell young actresses. “Don’t make a film because you think it’s necessary, but because the story, the character, the script appeal to you.” And if it’s helpful, if it offers a different perspective, that’s the icing on the cake. But if that’s your primary motivation, go into politics instead. An artist must be guided by what his gut dictates.
Despite concrete progress, decrees still weigh heavily on our shoulders
Emma Thompson
What did they tell you in this case?
That this character is tall, ambiguous, honest, funny. At a moment in her life when society tells this sexagenarian that everything is over for her, she decides to do something very brave by listening to her desire, discovering orgasm and bodily pleasures. This woman has lived her whole life with honor, respected the rules and norms related to her gender, but at the moment of the first assessment, questions flow to her: “Did it really make me happy?”, “Why?” Am I angry with my children?” “What did I miss out on doing what was expected of me?” He understands that he is not satisfied, that he is bored and something needs to be done. She embodies what many women go through at one point or another in their lives. And it is all the more terrible, because she is a modern, free woman, with education, the right to vote, and a job. she ticks all the boxes that feminist movements have been fighting for for a century. And yet, despite these concrete advances—symbolic, social, political—nothing has fundamentally changed; orders are still very heavy on our shoulders. The fight for our complete and absolute freedom is still long.
Sex here is a metaphor for what women are going through. in this field, as elsewhere, it is illegal to express one’s desires…
Absolutely! When Nancy tells her young lover: “I wish you would do that to me,” he gives the impression of going too far, defying the ban, being reprehensible. We’re talking about sexual desire here, but ultimately the fear of judgment he feels can apply to all areas of our lives. Of course, men do not worry about all these considerations. they don’t need them because people will never scold them for daring to ask, to express their desires. It’s time we too have the privilege to enjoy our bodies and lives as we see fit, regardless of subject matter or age.
After menopause, women are often deprived of social and romantic life…
You are an optimist. I believe that after 40 years, everyone doesn’t care about women’s sexual needs, dreams or ambitions… Their pleasure, let’s not even talk about it. I’ve traveled a lot, but I can’t think of a single culture where these issues of women are central…
MeToo ignited a spark just waiting to be ignited
Emma Thompson
And in Hollywood?
The movie industry, especially Hollywood, is harmful. The MeToo movement was extremely important, but the sad thing is that it happened because everyone was silent for so long. It took years of oppression, suffering and aggression for free speech. How did we get to a system that allows these abuses? Today, some are proud of the changes made since 2018, some think that they have done their job to calm the “hysterics”, but they are wrong: this is only the beginning, only the beginning. MeToo ignited a spark just waiting to be ignited. I know we won’t reform this old car overnight, but we shouldn’t let it go. Hollywood is a real mess, forgive me for this trifle.
In recent years, however, have you had a positive impact on the roles offered to actresses over 50?
But I’m famous, that changes everything. I am the exception, not the rule! It is very important to distinguish: I’ve been lucky enough to have roles that have allowed me to achieve a certain status, to have a “good profile”. But we are a handful in this case. Our profession is populated by brilliant actresses who are overlooked by the profession because they are 50 or 60 years old. My mother is an actressPhyllida Law, Ed.), my sister is an actress (Sophie Thompson, who was recently seen in the series Sexual education), my daughter is an actress (Gaia Wise), but they are not very famous, and I can tell you that it is a whole different world, very unfair.
In the movie, Leo tells Nancy to stop judging her own body so harshly. You got there.
I’m afraid that’s not possible. Whatever our job, we are told that we must stay young and beautiful. So when the signs of the times come, it is not easy for anyone to accept them. I’m old and wise enough not to waste the good years I have left worrying about my looks. I’ve lived long enough to realize that life is too short and too precious to dwell on trifles. But it’s not always easy, and I honestly feel sorry for young women. I even worry about them. In the age of social media, I find it extremely difficult to avoid psychosis or self-loathing. I hope this movie shows them that you can learn to love yourself at any age, regardless of your body shape or face.
In the video, Naomi Watts is positive about the benefits of menopause
If, through the films I choose, I manage to help a few viewers accept themselves better, I will have fulfilled my humble mission.
Emma Thompson
Is that why you accepted this full nude scene, without artifice, in front of the mirror?
I see this scene almost as a teaching tool. I have the body of a 63-year-old woman and at home, facing my mirror, I tend to tuck my stomach in so I don’t see reality. But there was no possible deviation in the film. Thanks to this young man’s kindness, Nancy is seeing her body for the first time for what it is, with a neutral perspective that most of us, myself included, will probably never get to have. After shooting this sequence, I felt vulnerable, I said to myself. “Why? Everyone will see you,” but I trust the public. He will understand what I wanted to put there. And if, through the films I choose, I manage to help a few viewers accept themselves better, I will have fulfilled my humble mission.
Your character has always followed the rules. And you?
I’ve always been a good girl.
“I’m more and more rebellious.”
Really?
Maybe not. As I get older, I am less and less obedient and more and more rebellious. But, if I can afford it, it is because I am privileged, protected by my status. I am white, I earn a good living, I live in a legal state, which, despite the crises, allows me to speak and express my opinion. Let’s not forget that women in Iran are killed for removing the headscarf that hides their hair. Let’s not forget that American states condemn young women by forbidding them to have an abortion. Let’s not forget that many countries, including mine, are moving to the extreme right, and that, in general, women are not winning…
How to stay optimistic in this context?
History has shown us the endurance of women, their strength, their courage. Two thousand years of debate about the status of women in the Western world is too long a conversation to interview, but I will only say this. the climate crisis we’re going through, in my opinion, has to do with the fact that women have left; from the spheres of government, institutions and organizations essential to the survival of our society and our planet. That is a fact. There are clear parallels in how men seek to dominate women and nature, and it seems to me that a rethinking of the gender balance is necessary to save our civilization. Humans have ruled for centuries, and look what it brings: wars, an unprecedented environmental crisis, retroactive rights, the possibility of nuclear Armageddon… Disaster! What are they afraid of? That we do less well. There are few risks at this stage.
My dates with Leo, by Sophie Hyde. Released on November 30, 2022.
Source: Le Figaro
