The Lesson

A film of two halves, if you like. Is it a drama? Yes, kind of. Is it a thriller? It tries to be. The first half sets everything up nicely and with plenty of dramatic tension, inner familial strife and forebodings about the water, sexual temptation and especially, plagiarism. So far so good. Then we have the turning point about an hour in, and after that, all reason takes a holiday. Are we to believe that Liam can remember the contents of a whole book? Are we to believe that all this was planned from the start? Was the butler in on it? I am sure that IT consultants everywhere were shouting at the screen about the 'deletion' scene. Having said all this, it was well acted even though all the characters are quite reprehensible, and relatively well made with a decent first hour.

If TS Elliot was right when he said "good writers borrow, great writers steal" then the author of this movie is can comfortably be called an original. This movie stinks. Nothing even remotely interesting or dramatic happens as you meet the characters in part 1. In part 2 you basically figure out the whole "plot" and where the tension will be in about 15 seconds. There is a moment where the movie says, "eh parts 1&2 are a different feel completely to part 3." So I'm thinking, ok maybe the movie is referencing itself and the closer will make up for the boringness of the first hour. But then Part 3 comes along and it's just as boring and predictable, no actions have consequences at all, all these people seem to not be living in the same plane of existence as each other, as they never reference the other person having done something. The ending makes zero sense. The whole thing makes zero sense. The only saving grace is that the lead actor is working very hard to try and make this into something and the scenery is beautiful.

One of the best movies of the year, the acting and direction are all on point. A young tutor played by the excellent Daryl McCormack goes to teach the son of a famous ( now largely thought retired author) played by Richard E Grant. The setting is the beautiful home of said author. The wife played by Julie Delpy and the son, played by Stephen Mcmillan seem remote, cut off and an air of sadness exudes the movie. The character played by Grant seems domineering, the master in his castle that no one appears to want to cross or even slightly displease. The story changes when the tutor gets involved in the latest book that Grant is writing, this in turn ties in to the death of the other son of Grant and Delpy Felix. The twist in the movie regarding this and the rather claustrophobic atmosphere work very well, but what makes this movie is the superb acting, something of a masterclass I thought. Delpy is simmering in her icy melancholy, McCormack has a chilled, personable personality at odds with Grant's rather domineering bullishness, the son Bertie seems especially remote from his father. A cracking story, I enjoyed every minute, I hope you do too. Recommended.

The Lesson is another example of a script that would have never in a million years been greenlit before the age of streaming. But now with every streaming service starving for content, we keep seeing stories that are not in the least bit worthy of a movie. Boredom is turned up to the max. Intrigue is nowhere to be found. On numerous occasions I thought to myself, "I DON'T CARE." When things finally start happening later in the movie, it doesn't come close to justifying the amount of time it took to get there. Like, really? That's where it's going? I'm a movie fiend. It doesn't take much to get me hooked. So when I watch a movie that can't hook me, I see it as a complete failure. It's not actively bad, but there is zero here for me. (1 viewing, 1/11/2024)

Describing this as a thriller was probably a bad idea, as it seems to have led a lot of reviewers to expect car chases, gunfights and things blowing up. It's a much subtler film than that. This is an intelligent and intriguing film with some excellent performances. Some reviewers seem to have found the character of JM Sinclair, feted novelist and domestic tyrant, unbelievable - I only wish it were! Surely the pantheon of American literary lions proves it is anything but. It does make a couple of missteps, however - the moment when Liam confronts Sinclair with what he knows doesn't quite land, and are we really supposed to believe that Liam's memory, however remarkable, allows him to recall a novel word for word from reading it once?!? That stretches credulity. I also wish Julie Delpy had been given more to do, she is underused here. Anyway, we should be grateful that films like this are being made, an island of intelligence in the midst of a sea of Marvel comics idiocy.

"Good writers borrow, great writers steal." J. M. Sinclair (Richard E. Grant) In director Alice Troughton's intriguing film, The Lesson, the three major characters of the film, viz, Sinclair; his art-curator wife, Helene; and Liam (Daryl McCormack), the tutor, are antagonists but of the very smart outer and menacing interior types. Because these enigmatic characters are performed by accomplished actors, it takes a while to figure out who's who, and what does each want from the other. Starting with the above quote, each steals something like great authors do to manipulate the figurative stage of the elegant English country estate bounded by a pond with a notorious past. Namely, the drowning of one of Sinclair's sons, and his figurative presence that seems to affect each of them. The undercurrent of danger could be out of Poe. As Liam settles into his job to tutor young son Bertie (Stephen McMillan), he is evidently obsessed with Sinclair's writing fame and vulnerable to Sinclair's criticism of his first novel. Liam is also vulnerable to Helene's charms as the plot thickens. Why such a bright young man couldn't anticipate the intrigues or why he signs agreements that need a lawyer's advice required my willing suspension of disbelief. Writer Alex MacKeith never lets go of the notion that writing as a profession or art can send writers down a dark path. Sinclair has been working on this last novel for so many years that his fans think he has retired. Writer's block? Possibly, but the has enough demons to stop Shakespeare. Isobel Waller-Bridge's score tinkles enough to suggest tranquility or at least art films in general. Anna Patarakina's cinematography captures languid summers at wealthy estates. Like the score, what's underneath is different from the accepted norms of the beautiful images. While the aforesaid Poe reminds us of the dangers in old mansion like The House of Usher, it is still a thrill to feel the tradition even in a modernized version such a Sinclair's. We learn from The Lesson not to accept anything for its surface. The underneath is what counts. The Lesson is a summer delight far removed from the cacophony of blockbusters.

I love the arts. It's my life line. It my relaxant. Music, books, movies, paintings etc I enrich myself in. The people who make art probably aren't very nice people, especially to work with within their private space. It's a price to pay for creativity. Young aspiring writer Liam finds this out when he agrees to tutor the spoilt, rude son of a famous novelist into getting into Oxford. The famous writer JM Sinclair is played with relish by Richard E Grant as a cold, rude and narcissistic writer. Normally I wouldn't have cared less about these prissy idiots and would advise Liam to get the hell out of there however I somewhat enjoyed watching Sinclair get his comeuppance! It's good to see Julie Delpy again (although sadly and unfortunately she looks a lot like Sarah Orr!), that put me off. As much as I like reading, I find those that take literature too seriously are tedious bores that seem superior to others and want to exert this superiority onto others-like Mark banging on and on about Burgess and Judy about Hardy. Watching this film felt like being lectured into how to write the perfect prose; only to finally realise- no-one really cares!

As "The Lesson" (2023 release from the UK; 103 min) opens, we are introduced in the "Prologue" to Liam, who has just published his first novel and is sitting down for an interview. We then go back in time to "Part I" and Liam arrives at a large state in rural England, to become a private tutor to a young man whom Liam will prep for the Oxford entrance exam. The young man's dad is renowned writer J. M. Sinclair, who is working on a new novel. Helene, the mom, is there as well. At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie. Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut of British director Alice Troughton, best known for he work on "Doctor Who". Here she brings a psychological thriller of sorts (not a fear-fest in any way). Given that this is a plot-heavy movie, the less that is said about that, the better. I will say that there was one plot twist I did not see coming at all, but that I also in my mind correctly predicted how the movie would end. The good news is that the lead performers are all super enjoyable, none more so that Richard E. Grant (as J. M. Sinclair). It wasn't until the movie end credits rolled that I realized that Helene is played by none other than Julie Delpy. I wasn't familiar with Daryl McCormick, who plays Liam. These are winning performances, period. The movie itself was ok but just ok. "The Lesson" premiered at the recent Tribeca Film Festival to good acclaim, although I was a little surprised to see that this is currently rated 83% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which feels a little high to me. The movie was released this past weekend in limited theaters. The Tuesday early evening screening where I saw this at my local arthouse theater here in Cincinnati was attended dismally: 1 other person besides myself. If you are in the mood for a psychological thriller with great lead performances, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

I was watching this for about ten minutes wracking my brain to remember where I'd seen Daryl McCormack before - then I recalled "Good Luck... Leo Grande" (2022). Well he's actually quite good in this too. It's quite a clever thriller about his aspiring young writer "Liam" who is offered the chance to tutor "Bertie" (Stephen McMillan) at his home. His father is renowned author "JM Sinclair" (a characterful effort from Richard E. Grant) and mother "Hélène" (Julie Delpy) an accomplished pianist and artist. "Bertie" is a bit recalcitrant but gradually, as "Liam" finds his feet, the two start to bond a little and the older man begins to realise that this family dynamic, still reeling from a previous tragedy, is not quite as idyllic and synchronistic as it appears. Quickly, we discover that the confident and rather domineering paternal figure is actually quite an intellectual bully and he has his own secret which "Liam" is going to be a pawn in bringing to light. It's actually Delpy who steals the film for me. Her's is obviously the puppet master-character and she gels well with McCormack as the plot unfolds towards a denouement that is both fitting and just a little bit surprising. Crispin Letts also adds a little bit of menace as the butler "Ellis" and the tight cast and decent writing help keep this taut and attractive to watch. It's just a little slow at the start, but I still quite enjoyed this.

The film follows Liam (McCormack), an aspiring and ambitious writer who accepts a tutoring position at the estate of his idol, J. M. Sinclair (Grant), a renowned author who is working on a new novel. Liam hopes to learn from Sinclair and impress him with his own work, but soon he realizes that he is trapped in a web of family secrets, resentment, and retribution. Sinclair, his wife Hélène (Delpy), and their son Bertie (McMillan) all guard a dark past, one that threatens Liam's future as well as their own. The Lesson is a gripping and suspenseful film that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. The film plays with the themes of writing, creativity, plagiarism, identity, and manipulation, and questions the boundaries between fiction and reality. The film also features some stunning cinematography by Anna Patarakina, who captures the contrast between the beautiful and serene countryside and the tense and claustrophobic atmosphere inside the estate. The film also benefits from a clever and haunting score by Isobel Waller-Bridge, who creates a sense of unease and mystery throughout the film. The cast delivers outstanding performances, especially Grant, who portrays Sinclair as a charismatic, eccentric, and ruthless mentor who toys with Liam's emotions and ambitions. McCormack is also impressive as Liam, who undergoes a transformation from a naive and eager student to a desperate and conflicted victim. Delpy adds another layer of complexity to the film as Hélène, who is both a supportive and suspicious wife, and who has her own secrets and motives. The Lesson is a film that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers, literary mysteries, and character-driven dramas. The film is a masterclass in writing and deception, and a lesson that some stories are better left untold.