‘The Lesson’ review round-up: Daryl McCormack, Richard E. Grant and Julie Delpy are ‘deliriously captivating’
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An aspiring writer recently graduated from Oxford (BAFTA nominee Daryl McCormack, “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”) descends upon the gloomy countryside estate of revered author J.M. Sinclair (Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) for a summer gig tutoring his son (Stephen McMillan, “Boiling Point”). Naturally, the young man, Liam, arrives bearing an unfinished manuscript with which he plans to impress his hero, but if there’s anything to be taken away from this “exquisitely made chamber piece” (Caryn James, The Hollywood Reporter), it’s that meeting your idols isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Though the house overflows with contemporary art curated by Sinclair’s wife, Hélène (Oscar-nominated writer Julie Delpy, Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy), and light that pours in through floor-to-ceiling windows, sorrow echoes between its hallways and behind its locked doors. Two years earlier, we learn, the Sinclairs’ eldest drowned himself on the property, a trauma that sent J.M. into professional hiatus. Albeit for very different reasons, Liam’s arrival is just what the family has been waiting for, and he soon finds himself tangled in their web of secrets and divergent interests – but he’s not exactly a pawn, either. As debut feature director Alice Troughton explains, “The Lesson” aims to upend and remix the conventional noir: “Our femme fatale becomes our detective, and our hero becomes, at points, our monster.”
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The first time all four principal actors are on screen together – an awkward dinner that, on account of Sergei Rachmaninoff, becomes downright cringe-inducing – Sinclair barely veils his contemptuous amusement at the regurgitated Wikipedia article Liam tries to pass off as musical analysis. But a twinkle in his eyes suggests this ingénue isn’t as unsophisticated as he first appears. We’ll also hear this “deliriously captivating group” (Lindsey Bahr, AP News) wax eruditely about Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne and the rhododendron flower, which releases a toxin asphyxiating surrounding plant life. It doesn’t take a PhD in classic literature to realize that these asides about Greek mythology and horticulture carry metaphorical import. “Under its elegant surface, ‘The Lesson’ takes on heavy issues of art, inspiration, classism, sexism, betrayal and revenge in one beautiful, impressive little package,” writes James.
Bill Goodykoontz (The Arizona Republic), similarly enthusiastic, says Troughton has “just the right touch, straddling the line between introspective art-house fare and a satisfying mystery…Toss in a typically engrossing (and entertaining) performance by Richard E. Grant and you’ve got a winner.” Jason Bailey (The Playlist) is critical of the third act but agrees with Goodykoontz that the film “gives one of our most entertaining actors an especially meaty role to devour.”
“Prickly and terrifying as this intellectual tyrant who is unafraid to crush anyone in his path with casual cruelty” (Bahr), Grant has a cadence that makes Sinclair’s admissions of artistic theft sound more like an irreverent genius’ hot takes than the unabashed candor of a successful hack. Bailey writes that the part “capitalizes on his peerless ability to convey blithe contempt and casual, sneering intellectual superiority,” adding that Delpy is a “master of seething and chewing simultaneously.” However, “while [the two] clearly delight in playing up the eccentricities of their respective characters, it is the comparatively low-key [McCormack] who emphatically steals the show,” Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (AWFJ.org) argues. The film, which she lauds as “one of the most fun and fascinating movies of the year thus far,” should appeal to anyone who appreciates their mysteries with a slice of literary-world backdrop – titles like “The Ghost Writer” and “The Words,” though “The Lesson” is funnier than both. Scribed by music-comedian Alex MacKeith, it “[opts] for wry lightness within the construct of a slow-burn thriller,” Bahr writes. “The Talented Mr. Ripley” has directly been cited as an influence (which, as coincidence has it, is said to be one of Emerald Fennell’s inspirations for “Saltburn,” the next film this year that will treat us to Mr. Grant’s inimitable tenor).
With a seductive atmosphere, stellar performances and solid reviews, this mid-summer diversion should perform well with the crowd that made “The Wife” an unexpected hit on the specialty market around this time five years ago. “The Lesson,” just released by Bleecker Street, currently holds an 86% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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