Review: "The Lesson"

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...

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BAFTA has a funny definition of "Rising Star"

by Cláudio Alves

"Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical" | © Netflix

The EE Rising Star Award is the only BAFTA category where the final vote doesn't belong to the British Academy but to the public. Over the years, many performers won the award on their way to the top, getting this honor before they were considered household names. Last year's victor, Lashana Lynch, quickly proved a worthy winner, showcasing her range in two shockingly different roles. First, she was a charisma bomb in The Woman King, electrifying the screen with good humor and action star chops. Next, Lynch gave life to Miss Honey in the Matilda musical, singing her way through a gentle, motherly figure who slowly learns how to make herself heard.

Most of this year's nominees don't have anything left to prove, nor do they need help getting recognition. This puts into question the award's purpose. Should previous BAFTA winners be eligible for this honor? Shouldn't the category be reserved for up-and-coming names who could benefit from a career boost at the start of their artistic journey? It seems not, judging by the nominees. They are…

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Streaming: "Good Luck to You, Leo Grande"

by Nathaniel R

Here's one we absolutely meant to review at Sundance but didn't get to. We did you disservice. This must-see drama from writer Katy Brand and director Sophie Hyde, now streaming on Hulu, is a fine specimen in the increasingly endangered species of "character-based drama for adults". More rising directors and screenwriters should attempt low-budget premises like -- easier to get funding -- provided they can find and guide actors savvy enough to pull off something direct and delicate. Hyde and Brand have done just that even if they haven't attempted to make it very "cinematic". It's not based on a play but it does feel like a film version of a play. For the wisely economical 97 minute running time we're entirely focused on just two people in one hotel room. Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) is a lonely fifty something widow who hires a male escort "Leo Grande" (Daryl McCormack) to fill the void of human connection in her life. She also hopes to finally experience an orgasm...

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