‘The Lesson’ Review: Richard E. Grant & Daryl McCormack Are the Best Parts of This Turbulent Thriller

If there is a lesson of its own to take away from the thriller that is The Lesson, directed by Alice Troughton and written by Alex MacKeith, it is that less can often be more. Some of the most authentically tense films are those that rely on ratcheting up the tension and never overplaying its hand. Think of how Michael Haneke’s enduring 2005 film Caché just kept withholding much of its particulars which were integral to creating its sense of dread.

COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT There was ephemeral violence, yes, but it was tied to the more eternal terror that comes from observing lies slowly collapsing around people. When you then have talented actors to embody the characters who find themselves caught up in this more subtle descent into destruction, the experience that is crafted can be even more shattering than one built around spectacle.

This all begins with an author talk where we meet Liam Sommers being asked about a book with a particularly revealing story that he has written. It is an opening that is the first of a couple of different moments which, while never living up to this comparison, felt a bit reminiscent of last year’s titanically good TÁR.

Of course, this is merely the first course of what becomes a full melodramatic meal for Grant to sink his teeth into and chew up until there is not a morsel of the scenery he has not consumed. Just the leering look in his eyes or the echo of his laughter makes him more of a vulture than a man, willing to feast upon even his own family if it were to come to that.

The Ending of 'The Lesson' Nearly Loses the Plot All of this to say, without going too far into the particulars, it is a film that thrives in its uncertainty and falters when it ultimately arrives at a more concrete, cliché conclusion. It effectively flirts with being an erotic thriller without fully diving in and dances with more existential questions about the nature of authorship before dulling this intrigue with a rather blunt ending. Its cast all keep it afloat, but only just.

Education Education Latest News, Education Education Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Richard E. Grant is a delightfully monstrous novelist in 'The Lesson'Richard E. Grant plays a vain novelist in 'The Lesson,' director Alice Troughton's feature film debut. Daryl McCormack and Julie Delpy also star.
Source: azcentral - 🏆 585. / 51 Read more »

YMCAs around Austin participate in the World's Largest Swimming LessonOver a thousand kids at the Northwest Austin YMCA participated in the World's Largest Swimming Lesson. 40,000 kids from 41 states and 18 countries took part in the one-day event which raises awareness about the crucial importance of water safety
Source: cbsaustin - 🏆 595. / 51 Read more »

A Lesson for the Sub“I was eager . . . for a quiet, unambitious existence,” Sam Lipsyte writes. “I didn’t foresee that two events would infuse this period with an intensity I haven’t quite known since.”
Source: NewYorker - 🏆 90. / 67 Read more »

Spider-Man 4 Must Learn An Important Lesson From Emma Stone's Gwen StacyAlthough Zendaya's Michelle Jones has appeared in more Marvel movies than Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy, the MCU's MJ can learn a couple things from her.
Source: screenrant - 🏆 7. / 94 Read more »

Douglas Murray call violent protests in France a lesson for America on 'open-borders immigration'Fox News contributor Douglas Murray joined 'Fox & Friends' to react to the violent protesters in France after a fatal shooting, calling it a warning to the U.S. on illegal immigration.
Source: FoxNews - 🏆 9. / 87 Read more »

How a hitting lesson with Barry Bonds fueled Blake Sabol’s big nightWhen Barry Bonds pulled up a chair in the hitting cage before the San Francisco Giants 6-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Monday, Blake Sabol’s ears perked up.
Source: mercnews - 🏆 88. / 68 Read more »