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.

It's a psychological drama set in modern times on an Irish estate owned by a famous novelist and his family. It follows the experiences of a tutor hired to help the younger son prepare for university interviews.

J. M. Sinclair (Richard E. Grant) is an honored and successful novelist who has not released new work for five or more years. He is married to Hélène (Julie Delpy), who sells art. Their older son, Felix (Joseph Meurer), committed suicide two years earlier. The younger son, Bertie (Stephen McMillan), has gone through several tutors. Liam Somers (Daryl McCormack) is a graduate student who has extensively studied Sinclair's literary work and worked on his own first novel for several years.

Liam soon discovers the Sinclair family estate holds a lot of eccentricity and tension within its walls. He is periodically invited to join the family the dinner and develops a decent relationship with Bertie. Hélène seems protective of both J. M. and Bertie, but with an aloof edge. Any mention of Felix is forbidden, and the nearby pond where Felix died is off-limits. Liam's bedroom window allows him to observe much, and J. M. soon requires Liam's computer skills as he tries to complete his new novel. Liam's photographic memory also comes in handy.

Suddenly, everything goes off the rails as we learn more about Felix's death and the reasons for Sinclair's writer's block.

I found "The Lesson" an engaging mystery. Grant is a great arrogant novelist, and Delpy is a delicious conniving matriarch. McCormack is also convincing. The plot unfolded nicely until the very end when I thought it took an unrealistic turn. Nonetheless, I liked "The Lesson." The pacing and cinematography were good.

Revered novelist JM Sinclair hires tutor Liam Somers to help his son Bertie gain a place at Oxford. Liam learns of a death at the family home, and sets about discovering the truth of what happened.

First of all, I have to comment about how poorly supported this film seems to have been, the trailer had me interested, seeing it has been tough, after just three nights, it's vanished, such a shame.

Sold as a thriller, I'm not sure that's the tagline I'd use, let's be honest it takes a long time to open up, and to move through the gears, it's a slow burner, but ultimately it's rewarding, it's well worth a few hours of your time.

The film does peak, and there's an unexpected twist, it's well worth waiting for, until then you have some lovely scenery, and some incredible acting, Richard E. Grant does of course deliver a phenomenal performance, but the whole cast are excellent, Daryl McCormack is currently featuring in The Woman in The Wall, but he's arguably best known for Peaky Blinders, a real talent.

Alice Troughton, a name that will be familiar to some, she's done a lot of TV workz, I will always be a fan, because of her direction on Doctor Who episode Midnight, for me that's hands down one of the best pieces of television of all time.

Some interesting nature shots throughout, great shots of the coypu.

8/10.

"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.

This movie isn't a thriller, so don't go in expecting big twists or action; it's a quiet, slow-paced drama with a mysterious edge. Some are rating the movie low because the mystery isn't hard to figure out, but I feel like that is not the point. The movie is meant to be a commentary on grief, ego, and control. It's not so much "what happens" but more "why" and "how" it unfolds.

The setting is absolutely beautiful: a big manor by a lake, surrounded by greenery. Calm but eerie atmosphere. Acting is top notch, everyone is great, they really managed to get a great cast. The writing is smart, with lots of foreshadowing, symbolism, and literary references and devices that fit the movie's theme.

That said, I wouldn't give it a perfect score. The slow pacing is not for me, and a few character decisions felt off or hard to believe. It's not a movie I'd probably rewatch, but I was definitely intrigued the whole time and impressed by the actors' performances.