Review: "The Lesson"
Thursday, July 6, 2023 at 12:00PM 
by Matt St Clair
In his BAFTA-nominated breakthrough performance from last year’s Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Darryl McCormack dazzled viewers with his charm and dramatic depth. The fact that he held his own against Emma Thompson giving one of her finest performances made his work even more applaudable. The new slow-burn thriller The Lesson from director Alice Troughton and screenwriter Alex MacKeith, allows him to follow up that stunning turn by going toe-to-toe with another European acting goddess.
The acting goddess in question is Julie Delpy who plays Hélène, the wife of renowned author J.M. Sinclair (a sublime Richard E. Grant). Looking to provide their son Bertie (Stephen McMillan) with a tutor to prepare him for his entrance exams to Oxford, the Sinclair couple hires Liam (McCormack), an aspiring writer and avid fan of J.M. 's work...
Once Liam settles into the couple’s secluded estate and assumes his tutoring role, he then becomes tangled into a web of deceit, obsession, and seduction.
Between the three main leads caught up in the game of psychological cat-and-mouse, it’s Richard E. Grant who has the showiest role. As J.M. Sinclair, an acclaimed writer trying desperately to recapture his former glory, Grant is enthrallingly diabolical. He delivers what is surely the film’s most quotable line with complete aplomb (“Average writers attempt originality. Great writers steal!”). However, it’s Julie Delpy who emerges as the film’s acting MVP.
With either the smallest line reading or slightest authoritative bodily posture, Delpy asserts how Hélène is always in control of the situation. Her authority is especially apparent during one scene where Liam is observing her and and her husband through the window. As Liam watches Hélène and J.M. become intimate, Hélène glances at Liam, knowing he’s observing them. Without any dialogue, it’s evident with Hélène’s look of confidence and Liam’s dazed reaction that Hélène has an upper hand in the sexual tension that develops between them. Moments such as this which lack exposition and allow the performers to use actions and verbal cues to tell the story move forward the thriller that is, ironically, about writers and the written word.
Then there’s Daryl McCormack. Though he has a familiar similar sex appeal that we've already seen in his breakthrough role, Liam is a complete 180 from the romantic ideal of Leo Grande. Liam is congenial as he aids Bertie in his studies and befriends him, but he's also slyly calculating. While willing to warm up to the family, Liam is an opportunist, working closely with his idol as a scheme to further his own writing career.
The crafty trio (McCormack, Delpy, and Grant) makes The Lesson a compelling watch and a study in on-screen simmering eroticism. Its meditative pace might not click with everyone; Once it reaches the climax, things do feel slightly drawn-out. But in the end, the three central performances remain worth the price of admission. B
The Lesson arrives in theaters tomorrow from Bleecker Street.
Reader Comments (3)
I had no idea this film even existed and now, after this review, it feels like a must watch.
I really loved Daryl McCormack in Leo Grande, and thought he gave such a winning performance alongside Emma. He feels like he really could be a star, and I hope he keeps getting plum roles.
I love Julie Delpy. Given that she only makes a film every other year, I'm excited to see her dig into this role.
This was the most honest review of the lesson that I have ever read appreciations for the author will share my review soon with you guys.
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The Lesson highlights the importance of learning from experiences, attaining wisdom, and developing as people to navigate life challenges.
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