To Leslie (2022)

Wow, this was very painful to watch, but it is a very good portrayal of an addict. We first meet the title character, Leslie, in an opening credits montage of photos showing what life was like before. Leslie got married, had a son, won $190,000 in a lottery and then burned through all the money, as well as burning all her bridges and any good will she had before she became a compulsive addict. Her drug of choice seems to be alcohol, but her behavior is more reminiscent of amphetamine and opiate addicts. The story picks up seven years after the lottery win. Leslie's life is dire. She's an alcoholic loner skating on the edge. When she gets evicted from the seedy motel she's been living in, she stuffs her few belongings in a pink suitcase and drops in on her now-19-year-old son James at his apartment in the city. He is the adult in the relationship--he sets rules, she breaks them, he kicks her out. Leslie eventually finds her way back to her rural hometown, the place where she won the lottery, and where she has quite a few ghosts. She gets quite a few breaks, but she is unable to operationalize them. Still, this is an impressive character portrait. Leslie often acts as if any hand extended to her is an opening to get more. And she has trouble delivering on promises she makes and duties she accepts. Sooner or later, she brings chaos and sourness to every interaction. If you have an addict taking advantage of youin your life, this should be adequate motivation to get involved with Alanon