X
- 2018
- R
- Netflix
- 1 h 36 m
- 2018
- R
- Netflix
- 1 h 36 m
Summary When a Staten Island kindergarten teacher discovers what may be a gifted five year-old student in her class, she becomes fascinated and obsessed with the child—spiraling downward on a dangerous and desperate path in order to nurture his talent. [Netflix]
Directed By: Sara Colangelo
Written By: Nadav Lapid
- 2018
- R
- Netflix
- 1 h 36 m
- 2018
- R
- Netflix
- 1 h 36 m
The Kindergarten Teacher
75
7.3
Where to Watch
Summary When a Staten Island kindergarten teacher discovers what may be a gifted five year-old student in her class, she becomes fascinated and obsessed with the child—spiraling downward on a dangerous and desperate path in order to nurture his talent. [Netflix]
Directed By: Sara Colangelo
Written By: Nadav Lapid
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
75
85% Positive
23 Reviews
23 Reviews
15% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
75
85% Positive
23 Reviews
23 Reviews
15% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The Kindergarten Teacher is probably the only movie about poetry with an ending as tense as any thriller.
Perhaps we are never driven to indignation at Lisa’s actions because the film exudes a refreshing state of calm, boasting a visual style that is awash with turquoise hues.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 46 User Ratings
7.3
78% Positive
36 Ratings
36 Ratings
22% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 46 User Ratings
7.3
78% Positive
36 Ratings
36 Ratings
22% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
This is a subtle film. It takes a little while to focus on who is clearly the child of primary focus, character wise (the teacher aside). I really rate Maggie Gyllenhaal as an actress - she is quite expressive and it shows that she cares for and truly wants to encourage the child's creative talent. I should point out that there is more going on than first seems but I won't elaborate, obviously so as not to provide any spoilers of course.
However, there is also a darker side that is suggested at times and that made me curious to find out more about the childs family/background. The music played (mostly stringed instruments) gives it a slightly spooky and sort of claustrophobic angle as well.
There is some poignant dialogue and I thought this film was well made, hence I'd recommend it - the only downside I felt was that there are unanswered questions by the end, which may frustrate you.
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“Anna is beautiful, beautiful enough for me. The sun hits her yellow house, it’s almost like a sign from God”. This is the poem uttered eerily instinctively by five-year old Jimmy (Parker Sevak) in Sara Colangelo’s The Kindergarten Teacher, a tantalising remake of the Israeli film of the same name. Jimmy’s poetic compositions seem only to catch the curiosity of his kindergarten teacher, Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who we see is quietly disillusioned with the mundanity of her everyday life and distanced from her family. Her only passion appears to be poetry; she attends late night classes with an attractive professor (Gael Garcia Bernal), but he thinks her poems are “derivative” and lack originality. But something snaps when she hears Jimmy’s poem; her intrigue in the child’s ‘gift’ (“We’re dealing with a young Mozart”) steadily begins to slide into obsession, making for a delightfully unsettling psychodrama where Gyllenhaal is the true star.
The Kindergarten Teacher is a thoroughly interesting film, teeming with nuance and subtleties. It’s a definite slow burn, a film that creeps up the tension, walking that knife edge between believable and otherwise just as its character does. Initially when we meet Lisa, her loneliness is palpable. Much of the film, however, focuses on her relationship with this young boy, as her actions become all the more disconcerting; nap times are replaced with exchanges of phone numbers, Jimmy’s babysitter is fired so Lisa can spend more time with him and so on. It’s a masterfully crafted piece, conjuring a distinctly sinister tone that still manages to cement itself in reality and blossoms with ambiguity. Whilst Colangelo is an assured directing talent and the young Parker Sevak is remarkable, the real force behind The Kindergarten Teacher is Maggie Gyllenhaal, who delivers one of the most understated yet powerful performances of her career. Often the camera will settle woozily just on her face; even with no words, Gyllenhaal’s expressions seep with isolation, loneliness and, upon ‘discovering’ Jimmy’s talent, a creepily ecstatic sense of hope. It is Gyllenhaal who manages to keep the film grounded; even as Lisa’s actions become all the more unnerving, the performance allows us to totally buy her motives and keep us strangely sympathetic.
It is safe to say that The Kindergarten Teacher is not a film for everyone. The pace is deliberately unhurried, allowing the story to unfold with gripping if sometimes frustrating slowness. Equally, it’s a film of unanswered questions; are Lisa’s actions simply out of nurture? Is Jimmy being groomed? How far should one go in the pursuit of art? Is Lisa the only one who truly recognises Jimmy’s talent? Most cynical of all… is Jimmy even as good as Lisa insists he is? These themes and questions are explored yet blissfully never explained in the film; in the end, the answers are left purely to our perception. The subject matter is never covered too overtly or with any gratuity; for example, there is no suggestion of a sexual element to Lisa and Jimmy’s relationship. The Kindergarten Teacher is far cleverer than that; though Lisa’s actions are never shown positively, neither are they shown negatively either. Is she actually the only one helping Jimmy? Colangelo proves nothing here is black and white.
In terms of the general craftsmanship, there is impressive work here too. Asher Goldschmidt’s score is jagged and tense and Pepe Avila del Pino’s camera sweeps with versatility from wide landscapes to intimate close-ups. All in all, The Kindergarten Teacher is an expert piece of filmmaking, subtle and complex. It’s the sort of movie that will leave you thinking about it for days after, pondering its riddles and marvelling at that gorgeous central performance.
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The Kindergarten Teacher dares us to work out for ourselves, from moment to moment, whether Lisa is a hero, a monster or something in-between
The Kindergarten Teacher is a great performance, the latest from an actress with a reputation for giving them. Watch it on Netflix and see what the Academy missed.
Colangelo’s adaptation continually feels like it’s missing something.... Luckily though, Collangelo has Gyllenhaal, who is exceptional at times here, to carry it through.
It’s just a shame that the edge-of-your-seat suspense negates The Kindergarten Teacher’s preceding psychological power.
The only reason to watch The Kindergarten Teacher is Ms. Gyllenhaal’s performance, whose quality makes us resist until it’s possible.
This is a very thought-provoking film. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a powerful performance, as a woman who is seeking some meaning in her life, and she thinks she finds it in a gifted young Kindergarten student. The young boy who plays this part is also terrific, but this is Gyllenhaal's film all the way and she is compelling from start to finish. "Quite desperation" describe her at the beginning, and "honorably unhinged" she where she ends up. A really good movie.
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Very unique sort of picture. Maggie Gyllenhaal was excellent and does often seem to be in movies that skirt the edges of social mores. Here the film deals with obsession and at the same time the loss of poetry in the culture. Well written script and carried off very well.
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A strange one.
'The Kindergarten Teacher' does an impressive job at making the situations portrayed uncomfortable, like I was literally cringing all the way through - and I mean that in a good way. I'm not entirely convinced it lands completely, but I did like watching it all play out and Maggie Gyllenhaal puts in a superb performance. It gets 8/10 thanks to Mags.
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The film is all about the performance of Maggie, the story isn't strong, it's just about the obsession of a teacher on a talented child, also the story isn't attractive, if anyone read the plot before watching the film, they will skip it. This kind of story could be better as a short movie not in 96 minutes.
I would like to salute Maggie about her solid performance, she was perfect and must be nominated for a reward, she is deeply involved in her role, you can see it by her reactions, facial expressions, etc. you feel every part of her body was acting even when she was silent.
If you want to watch an enjoyable story, this is not a good choice, but if you like to see a great performance, this one will be a good choice.
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Production Company
Pie Films,
Farcaster Films,
Imagination Park Entertainment,
Liner Films,
Manhattan Productions,
Maven Pictures,
PaperChase Films,
Pia Pressure,
Piapressure,
Studio Mao
Release Date Oct 12, 2018
Duration 1 h 36 m
Rating R
Tagline ...a fine line between nurturing and obsession.
Awards
Women Film Critics Circle Awards
• 4 Nominations
Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
American Film Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
