THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER
Poetic licence…
American adaptations of foreign-language films often stumble. But here, writer/director Sara Colangelo (Little Accidents) takes Nadav Lapid’s 2014 Israeli movie and handles it with care. Now set in Staten Island, it stars Maggie Gyllenhaal in arguably her most accomplished turn since 2006’s Sherrybaby. She plays an educator, Lisa Spinelli, whose ambitions have become stymied after decades in the job.
Married to Grant (Michael Chernus) – in an all-too comfy but passion-free relationship – and mother to teenagers Lainie (Daisy Tahan) and Josh (Sam Jules), Lisa is experiencing a creeping CertifiCate TBC DireCtor Sara Colangelo Starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Parker Sevak, Rosa Salazar, Gael García Bernal SCreenplay Sara Colangelo DiStributor Thunderbird running time 96 mins
sense of mid-life malaise. To combat this, she enrols in an adult poetry class run by Gael García Bernal’s enthusiastic Simon, although her work doesn’t exactly set her fellow students on fire.
Things change when, at her own school, she discovers her five-year-old student Jimmy Roy (Parker Sevak) has an uncanny talent for poetry. The boy speaks in a stream-of-consciousness that seems wise far beyond his years; is he a child genius? At first, Lisa tries to encourage his nanny Becca (Rosa Salazar) to write his musings down. At this point, those who saw My Kid Could Paint That may well be reminded of that 2007 doc’s focus on the subjective nature of pre-schoolers’ art.
Yet as it unfolds, The Kindergarten Teacher departs from the prodigy narrative and enters darker territory, initially with Lisa inspired by Jimmy’s work to make a poor judgement call – suddenly, she’s receiving attention she didn’t previously receive. The film’s final act takes things in an even more disturbing direction. A character study of a woman mired in frustration, one who steps way past acceptable boundaries, Colangelo’s movie steers audiences towards a grey zone that leaves you feeling unsettled.
The film’s fulcrum is an intense turn from Gyllenhaal, who is also credited as producer. Practically in every scene, she essays a bond with Sevak that’s fully credible. Ditto Lisa’s increasingly misguided choices, though Gyllenhaal never goes OTT. This is a controlled performance, one that is achingly sad and, much like Colangelo’s held-back direction, admirable for its restraint. Around her, actors such as Chernus and Bernal provide unshowy support.
What The Kindergarten Teacher means will be different to each audience member; Colangelo operates in increasingly ambiguous terrain, leaving you uncertain if Lisa has Jimmy’s best interests at heart or if she’s an abuser heading for a spectacular breakdown. Psychologically intriguing, it’s liable to spark lengthy debate. James Mottram
THE VERDICT
Delicate and impactful, this is a finely etched indie headed by a top-form Gyllenhaal and a skilled director.