This is a film that really struck close to home on a lot of levels. In a nutshell the film is about a woman who has had a cultural and intellectual awakening later in life. As she evolves into a new woman she struggles to coexist with those around her who do not see interested in bettering themselves.
In the middle of all of this she meets a gifted student with whom she becomes obsessed. I won't say much more than that as I don't want to give anything away. I think the teacher wishes that she had a mentor in life that would have shown her parts of life that she had to discover on her own. While I enjoy the process of discovery I often wish that I had someone along the way that would have encouraged it at a younger age.
I don't love the final scenes but the end did not take away from the how I felt about the film.
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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.
There is a mantra I live by, if Maggie Gyllenhaal is in something watch it. Even a baked-bean advert. You'll see a great performance even if the product is not good.
Kindergarten Teacher is a very interesting film, it can literally be seen as a 'slow burner' as we are treated to Lisa's life both work and family and there is little that is remarkable about it with all the actors giving fantastic naturalist performances. So, if you are looking for intriguing action or drama from the get-go you really need to have a modicum of patience.
Eventually, Lisa crosses paths with Jimmy a strange five-year-old in her class, wonderfully played by Parker Sevak as good as young child can play a role, and here we start into a rabbit hole that Lisa should have avoided but due to her life just could not.
Your view as to what type of film Kindergarten Teacher really depends on the viewer, obviously this is true to an extent of any film, but in general you know a film is a horror, comedy or war film usually. But Kindergarten Teacher can sit comfortably in several camps. It is definitely a psychological drama, is it a horror-drama? Only you can decide and for me it shows tremendously skilled writing, directing and acting that leaves you questioning as the final scene closes. What did you just watch? How do you feel about it? That final line, for me Lisa was correct, her actions not so much but she was correct. That's all I can say because if you do watch this film and like it any more will ruin it.
For me there a lot of horror and thriller films that fall far short of the potential scares that this film produces with great subtlety and with all the scenery left unchewed and intact. A typical understated Gyllenhaal performance seems to have permeated throughout the film and it is all the better for it - although I am being disingenuous director Sara Colangelo clearly believes less is more - it looks as if she is correct.
After watching I found out this is a remake of a 2014 film of the same name, it would be interesting to see if this is the better film.
Kindergarten Teacher is a film that will make you feel uneasy the longer it goes on and will make you think about what you have just witnessed long after the final credits have ended. This film will 'get to you' I recommend giving it a go.
Some very convincing acting performances and interesting ideas behind the film - but the plot is so contrived at every turn that I find it hard to accept the film as a drama at all.
It's a story with no antagonist - it's just a story about people. Lisa not only isn't a hero, her actions obviously problematic and deranged, but she isn't an anti-hero either. It's about the desperate struggle of the failed middle aged to keep the joy and curiosity alive for the next generation. Lisa sees herself in Jimmy, but wants him to succeed where she failed.It wasn't a particularly enjoyable watch, it was very slow, but it is worth reflecting on. It captures the chaos and disorder of life, and how fragile it all is.
Lisa wasn't a poet until she was using Jimmy's words, but fundamentally she isn't an artist, Jimmy is - she's just an art appreciator.
Great cinematography - the still shots while action moves around within were particularly powerful.
The characters were well portrayed, and I understood the conflicting motivations and feelings.
I loved Maggie Gyllenhaal. Anything she does, I'll give it a go. this however did not keep me attentive. The trailer intrigued me but the storyline was too slow for me. I lost interest halfway through and turned it off once they were at the museum. I think the teacher office scene was unneccessary but again, as I didn't finish, maybe there was more or it further down the line.
I will however give the original Israeli version a try and see if that version manages to keep my attention. same name.
Not quite the heart-tugging and inspirational movie I was expecting. This subverts the Dead Poets-type movie our screens are littered with, and gives us something that is dark and obsessive. Still, despite the actions taken by the teacher in question, you might actually sympathise with her a little come the film's end.
I tried the film bacause the synopsis sounded good. In reality I was bored all the way through it! Very disappointed!!!
Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a good performance but the besides her there is nothing really special about this movie. The ending was kinda shocking and made me mad.
Shout by OMEGANCQBlockedParent2019-04-13T14:16:49Z
It's eerie, but strangely powerful. With this almost tailor-made script Maggie Gyllenhaal put good use with her skills, her character is so complex and daring and fragile, smart and naïve, and most of all referable, it's like she came straight out of a Christopher Nolan movie. It maybe far from mainstream but this movie certainly excelled from other Netflix titles, and for those who is willing to try, it's a good watch. And it's worth mentioning that the poems in the movie came by the hand of Vietnamese writer Vuong, went to see his works after the movie and some are literally breath taking.