Word: Ash Pritchard

“I don’t like men who pretend to be women, they disgust me” So says antagonist Pierre to his youthful protégé Jonas in Private Lessons, a Franco-Belgian production that explores the process of growing up and poses some uncomfortable questions about sexuality, authority and the corruption of youth. Jonas is a teenage high school boy who is obsessed with tennis. He lives with his older brother in their family home, while his absentee divorcee mother suns herself in the south of France. Set over the course of the long European summer, Jonas spends most of his time in the company of a trio of much older friends. Nathalie and Didier are free wheeling lovers, while the enigmatic Pierre seems to be the glue that binds the group together. The three have taken Jonas under their wing, and delight in sharing their experience of life, love and love-making with the impressionable boy, shepherding him through his first awkward fumbling with girlfriend Delphine.

However, the fun of the summer is interrupted by Jonas’s poor academic results. His exam failures mean that he risks being thrown out of school, and the stress of the situation affects his tennis performance. Hope for salvation comes in the form of “La Jury” an intense one off exam notorious for its difficulty. Pierre, Nathalie and Didier offer to tutor Jonas, to help him pass this important milestone. However, as their involvement in his studies increase, the motivations are proven to be less than pure as they seek to expand the boy’s sexual horizons.

Private Lessons is the second feature from up and coming Belgian writer-director Joachim Lafoss. His dark 2006 debut, Private Property, charted dysfunctional family relations and explored what occurs in the absence of boundaries. In this latest feature, he veers into new territory. The action revolves around witty set-pieces, centered on cutting dialogue between the lead characters. The vague sense of unease that is felt in watching the impressionable Jonas interact with his older and more worldly-wise friends culminates in a series of uncomfortable-to-watch encounters between the three. The depravity of these scenes contrasts with the innocence of his experiences with his young girlfriend.

Newcomer Jonas Bloquet gives a note perfect performance as the curly-haired teenager struggling at the edge of adulthood. Jonathan Zaccai captures the confidence and arrogance of the aging Pierre, who’s tutoring begins with literature and math but moves on to less academic pursuits once Jonas moves into his apartment in order to concentrate on his studies. While Nathalie (played by Claire Bodson) acts the role of cougar, it Pierre’s abuse of his authority, in the role of mentor, that truly dominates the narrative.

It is the question of motivation that thus becomes the most compelling aspect of Private Lessons. Are the older characters merely acting out of a desire to initiate their young friend into the ways of the world, or are they merely using Jonas to satisfy their own carnal desires? As the story unfolds, Lafoss also invites us to question the complicity of Jonas. Is he a victim? A willing participant? All in all, Private Lessons is nothing if not thought-provoking, something that in today’s world of disposable vampire blockbusters is to be commended, if not celebrated. in my bed in the hope that my wish is granted!