The Lesson

About 30 minutes into 'The Lesson' I had to look up its IMDb page to make sure I hadn't misread it being a thriller. It was off to a very slow start. That isn't to say I wasn't enjoying it, just that there was going to have to be a notable tone shift in order for that to be the case. And there was, but the whole time it felt like this movie was struggling to get out of first gear.

The film has a good cast and some decent dialogue and the story has 'potential' (for lack of a better term). It's just that everything feels a little half-baked. It never commits to anything. It isn't willing to pull the trigger and dare to be something great and memorable. The film reminded me a lot of 'Saltburn' (also starring Richard E. Grant in the father role funny enough), only a light version of that movie.

I really wanted to like this movie more. And I should be clear that I didn't dislike the movie by any means, I just felt that it could've been more than it ultimately was. 6/10.

In supposed thriller "The Lesson" aspiring writer Daryl McCormack (future huge star pending the right BIG role) is an English Lit tutor to Stephen McMillan, son of Julie Delpy & Richard E Grant (terrific) - whose other son killed himself two years prior. The domineering Grant's a once acclaimed author who's close to finishing his comeback novel, but in staying with the family at their beautiful, isolated home McCormack unearths secrets beneath their tension. Debut director Alice Troughton & debut writer Alex MacKeith tick the boxes, albeit with some clichés, to deliver a passable Brit-drama... that's sadly a tad too mild & predictable to be considered a true 'thriller'.

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.

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.