Alice Troughton, a seasoned TV director with credits like Doctor Who, makes her feature film debut with The Lesson, written by Alex MacKeith, who reportedly drew on some biographical experiences for the screenplay. Despite the film’s impressive cast led by Julie Delpy and the globally underrated Richard E. Grant, The Lesson falls short of delivering a decent watch.
The film stars Daryl McCormack as Liam, an aspiring and ambitious young writer who eagerly accepts a tutoring position at the family estate of his idol, renowned author J.M. Sinclair (Richard E. Grant). But soon, Liam realizes that he is ensnared in a web of family secrets, resentment, and retribution. The opening, with chapter titles evoking a classic novel structure, introduces us to Liam being interviewed about his first novel, hinting at the inspiration drawn from his experiences at Sinclair’s estate.
In Act I, Liam arrives at the Sinclair countryside mansion, where he meets Bertie’s French mother Héléne (Julie Delpy), a strange butler Ellis (Crispin Letts), and the reserved Bertie (Stephen McMillan). At dinner, Sinclair himself joins them, freezing the room’s atmosphere. Liam starts observing the dysfunctional, unhappy family, which inspires him to finish his novel, taking him on a journey about more than just writing and authorship. Héléne quickly cuts Liam’s ties with the agency that sent him as a tutor and makes him sign an NDA.
The cinematography by Russian-Swedish DP Anna Patarakina and the art direction by Henning Jördens are beautiful, but sadly, everything else is a wash. Despite the best efforts of Grant, Delpy, and McMillan, who try to get the most out of their clichéd characters—the narcissistic author, the crafty femme fatale-esque mother, and the deeply wounded son—the movie cannot be saved by their performances alone.
Source: IMDB
Young Stephen McMillan, who first caught the wider audience’s eye in Philip Barantini’s masterfully crafted Boiling Point—yes, before The Bear was even born as a concept—delivers a splendid performance in The Lesson. As the reserved and troubled Bertie, McMillan showcases a depth, nuance and inherent truthfulness that hints at a very promising career in film. Certainly, we will be hearing a lot more about the young Scottish actor in the future.
The Lesson aims to evoke the gothic romance classics like Hitchcock’s Rebecca, Dickinson’s Gaslight, or even contemporary takes on the genre such as Zeffirelli’s and Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre. It is understandable why filmmakers revisit this genre, but The Lesson, much like Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn made in the same year, fails to hit the mark. This is a genre with high demands for finesse and storytelling skills.
Minimalism, a handful of great characters, intricate and complex relationships can indeed work wonders. That can be more than enough. However, in The Lesson, unfortunately there are no dimensions, layers or a spark of cutting through the flesh realness to anything. Not to mention, this pretentious „what is art” and „who is an artist” storyline. It is so up in your face and up in the protagonists’ ears in his earbuds – watch is and you will understand – that it becomes straight on cringe-worthy.
MacKeith’s dialogue is embarrassingly poor, to the point that one wonders how Delpy or Grant managed to deliver their lines without laughing. The short mise-en-scenes linking one poorly written dialogue-driven scene to the next are sometimes poetic, but the rest of the direction is uninspired. The film lacks original ideas, storytelling through camera movements, or exciting compositions. It’s reminiscent of old-school, modest-budget daytime TV, likely due to Troughton’s background. Reportedly, she is developing her second feature film—let’s hope it resembles cinema this time.
Within the first five minutes, I felt robbed. Daryl McCormack’s lead performance is painfully amateurish, reminiscent of first-year acting students in New York shooting student films and believing they are now “actors.” If you have 103 minutes to spare and want to see a film far from professional filmmaking, with predictable twists and flat characters, then by all means, give The Lesson a try. The film seems so desperate to be amazing and a big break for its makers that it ends up falling flat on its face.
The Lesson had its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023 – Oh God, what is going on with festivals these days?! – And is currently available on Apple TV. Heartfelt advice: do not.
~ by Dora Endre ~
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