The Lesson Movie Review

Director Alice Troughton has mainly worked in directing television. She has directed episodes of “Torchwood,” “Dr. Who,” “The Flash” and “Baghdad Central,” which she also took on the challenge of executive producer.

After she enjoys the success of her first feature film, “The Lesson,” she’ll return to television, directing a six-episode drama thriller series called “Boat Story.” Alice Troughton is fierce and isn’t afraid to get dark and gritty. Count me in.

With “The Lesson,” she takes the opening scene and gives us a glimpse of a new writer named Liam Sommers, Daryl McCormack, from “Bad Sisters” and “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.” Liam is being interviewed about his first novel, which is about a writer he respected and admired. The writer is J.M. Sinclair. Luckily for us, he was played by the talented Richard E. Grant from “Henry & June,” “Gosford Park,” “Dom Hemingway,” and “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.”

The narrative his novel is clearly based on is his time with the Sinclairs and the person who once influenced him greatly, more than anyone. Through Sinclair, Liam learns that “Good writers have the sense to borrow from their betters. But the greats… great writers steal.” This is an incredible moment for Liam to learn how life is. Something about this scene comes into play later in the film.

After a brief glimpse of seeing that Liam “made it,” we’re in the past when Liam, while writing his thesis on the great J.M. Sinclair, is employed by the writer, even moving into his massive house. He’s there to teach and direct his son Bertie (Stephen McMillan), a contentious little brat, in the hopes Bertie will learn something he hasn’t with others who have tried. The Sinclairs would like their son to get into Oxford. Though Bertie may not care, his mother, Hélène, played by Julie Delpy from “Europa Europa” and “Broken Flowers,” lets Liam know that Bertie must pass the entrance exams and get into the school. She gives him a reading list for the boy, and Liam will report to her at the end of every lesson.

Liam tells Hélène he’s doing his thesis on her husband for graduate school. She gets across to the young man how she feels about that, saying, “I’m sure that he’d be flattered, but you’re not here for him.”

So, Liam eventually befriends the boy by letting him know he likes his writing, wishing he had done the work himself.

The family isn’t who they present themselves to be. Their child Felix died, and they’ve never recovered, leaving Bertie to feel trivial and unimportant. At dinner, Liam sits where Felix sat and has even been given a few articles of his clothing when needed. It’s uncomfortable to find this out.

It’s also revealed that Felix, the older of the two, drowned himself. No one has been in the lake since.

In a flashback, while being interviewed, J.M. says that losing a child is an incredible injustice. He grieves the loss of his child and is tortured by the killer. So, when it’s suicide, where does that poison go?

Liam helps his employer with his computer. He lets him know another server is running, which could be his issue. He communicates his computer knowledge, letting J.M. know he can turn the other server off, but J.M. insists it remains connected.

It’s with this server where the nuts and bolts of the story lie.

Now, Sinclair, Liam’s hero, wants Liam to edit his newest book! But Liam gets brave and says he’ll do it, only if Sinclair agrees to read his book. What happens in the rest of the film are twists and revolutions you won’t see coming, so I stop here. I’d do you a disservice by mentioning any more of this tale.

This is a wonderful narrative to watch and the ending is quite surprising. See this when it comes out on July 7^th! You don’t want to wait for this one.

PHOENIX WILL BE SHOWING IT IN THE FOLLOWING THEATERS!

Harkins Chandler Fashion Center 20

Superstition Springs 25

Shea 14 Theatre

Harkins Arrowhead Fountains 18