Netflix movie came out around Christmas 2021 - directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Loved it - has a dark, cynical heart wrapped up in sleek production and beautiful visuals, and and a lovely score. Olivia Colman's acting, as always, was profoundly good and even Dakota Johnson did good with her limited role. Gyllenhaal uses flashbacks really well.

I would recommend watching without knowing anything about the plot.

I enjoyed this a lot, but felt a bit short changed with the ending, and frustrated with the main character.

I know it's supposed to be like that (up to the viewer to decide Leda's fate) is she dead or alive, what is she guilty of in her past, why does she make the choices she does?  But with all the build up it was not satisfying for me. All the plot strands that could culminate in something dreadful just drift off into the ether. A character who's essentially unlikeable, even combative at times, finds favour with those around her quite easily, yet it seems to me that most people would sensibly give her a wide berth.

Both Olivia Coleman and Dakota Johnson gave as usual solid performances.
Ooh, and Jessie Buckley.

So I loved parts of this (and the theme) and am so grateful that films like this are still being made, given we live predominantly in a moneyed-Marvel universe.

On that same note I'm looking forward to watching Joanna Scanlan in After Love.

P.S. Can definitely see why this is up your alley, Ben.

I can see why the ending would be frustrating - I guess for me that’s just not the interesting bit.

SPOILER: I’m of the opinion that she’s dying in the closing scene. It’s why she was able to conjure the orange out of nowhere and why her daughters suddenly seemed so interested in speaking to her - she’s regressing into a past memory.

Olivia Coleman is a wonderfully talented actress who is finally getting the credit she deserves. Her performance in Paddy Considine's debut film Tyrannosaur was as breathtaking as it was heartbreaking.