TIFF '18 Film Review - The Kindergarten Teacher

Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a preschool teacher on Staten Island with a love bordering on obsession with poetry. When not teaching she is writing down phrases preparing for her weekly class in Manhattan. One day after class one of her students Jimmy (Parker Sevak) starts pacing back and forth speaking quietly yet purposefully emitting beautiful prose.  However, it seems that Lisa is the only one to notice. She questions her nanny who comes to pick him up who notes that he does this often at home. His dad also shows no interest only an Uncle that keeps his distance knows that his nephew has something to say. Lisa takes it on her self to nurture Jimmy's talent first taking his poems as her own, bringing him to museums to feed his artistic side then giving him her cell number to call her anytime he has a poem to recite.

Director Sara Colangelo helms this Netflicks project a remake of Navid Lapid's Israeli 2015 version of the film. The family dynamic for Sara is explored deeply. Her husband is devoted but their relationship seems to more friendly than passionate. Her daughter is buried in her phone 24 hours a day while her son plans to join the army over Sara's loud objections.

Lisa grows singularly focused on Jimmy. She is pulling him out of nap time to speak to him alone in the bathroom. She takes him aside for private conversations on the playground. Her actions and touching of the boy drawing the attention of her teaching assistant. Sara extends her authority against the will of Jimmy's dad leading her to be cut off which only increases her desire to be Jimmy's guide.

Maggie Gyllenhaal who is outstanding in almost everything she does is perfectly suited for this role. She is part mother, part teacher, fangirl, and partly jealous of Jimmy's talent. She is past her prime, toiling in the forgotten New York borough Kindergarten Class knowing quality but not able to produce it then sees it in a 5 -year -old boy. She must feel like she is being punished.

The Kindergarten Teacher is a study in an honest attempt to nurture that drifts steadily into the realm of obsession. Maggie Gyllenhaal shines in a role she was meant to play. The obsession builds steadily to a peak then diffuses as if a spell has been broken. It's a project that's faithful to the original story making it a film that I can recommend.

*** Out of 4

The Kindergarten Teacher | Sara Colangelo | U.S.A. | 2018 | 96 Minutes.

Tags: Poetry, Ferry, Night School, Pre-School, Nanny, Poetry Reading, Road Trip, Beach, Upstate New York.