Alice Troughton’s first feature is a jewel, an exquisitely made chamber piece with Richard E. Grant as J.M. Sinclair, an acclaimed novelist on his way down, Julie Delpy as Helene, his art-curator wife, and Daryl McCormack as Liam, a would-be novelist who idolizes Sinclair. With a clever script that keeps us off guard, the setting of a gracious country estate whose sumptuous visuals mask a dark undercurrent, and a score that entices us into an increasingly unsettling world, The Lesson is a small delight.
The opening scene makes it seem as if we can see the film’s whole trajectory. Liam is being interviewed about his first novel, whose plot about a great patriarchal writer is obviously based on Sinclair. The narrative then flashes back to the beginning of the story, when Liam is hired to tutor the Sinclairs’ son, Bertie (Stephen McMillan), for his entrance exams to Oxford University.
The opening scene makes it seem as if we can see the film’s whole trajectory. Liam is being interviewed about his first novel, whose plot about a great patriarchal writer is obviously based on Sinclair. The narrative then flashes back to the beginning of the story, when Liam is hired to tutor the Sinclairs’ son, Bertie (Stephen McMillan), for his entrance exams to Oxford University.
- 6/13/2023
- by Caryn James
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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