Being a writer myself, I was drawn to "The Lesson" for self-evident reasons. But the story was far from what I'd expected. Potent twists and sinister turns, with a good bit of writing pointers, enriched this movie to no end.
The plot featured a young writer who was hired to be a tutor at a reputed place, namely the mansion of a legendary novelist named J. M. Sinclair.
Richard E. Grant was outstanding in the role of Sinclair. Complementing his performance was Daryl McCormack (as Liam Somers), the hapless young tutor in question.
For some reason, they wanted Liam to teach the family scion Bertie Sinclair (played by Stephen McMillan) so he would pass the competitive Eng. Lit. Exam to get into Oxford.
Intrigue added up on suspense a while after that, especially when the missus Hélène Sinclair (played by Julie Delpy) came on the scene.
Admiration dwindled into suspicion and devolved into loathing as Liam got to know more about the family, especially J. M. himself, and their strange almost paranoid way of life. Those final coup d'état moments were thrilling, to say the least.
"The Lesson" was minimal yet packed with meaning. It captured the silent plight of the world's many ghostwriters. It also portrayed what so many so-called successful writers (not all of them, mind you) believe in - a blend of 'fake it till you make it' and 'steal where you can'.
In this movie, at least, one such despicable writer got his just desserts. If only all such word-thieves were given an opportunity to experience a similar 'lesson'.
The plot featured a young writer who was hired to be a tutor at a reputed place, namely the mansion of a legendary novelist named J. M. Sinclair.
Richard E. Grant was outstanding in the role of Sinclair. Complementing his performance was Daryl McCormack (as Liam Somers), the hapless young tutor in question.
For some reason, they wanted Liam to teach the family scion Bertie Sinclair (played by Stephen McMillan) so he would pass the competitive Eng. Lit. Exam to get into Oxford.
Intrigue added up on suspense a while after that, especially when the missus Hélène Sinclair (played by Julie Delpy) came on the scene.
Admiration dwindled into suspicion and devolved into loathing as Liam got to know more about the family, especially J. M. himself, and their strange almost paranoid way of life. Those final coup d'état moments were thrilling, to say the least.
"The Lesson" was minimal yet packed with meaning. It captured the silent plight of the world's many ghostwriters. It also portrayed what so many so-called successful writers (not all of them, mind you) believe in - a blend of 'fake it till you make it' and 'steal where you can'.
In this movie, at least, one such despicable writer got his just desserts. If only all such word-thieves were given an opportunity to experience a similar 'lesson'.