#parker sevak

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The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) Sara Colangelo

December 26th 2024

[ultimatela]

A Professora do Jardim de Infância (The Kindergarten Teacher), 2018

[artfilmfan]

[filmbabyy]

“Talent is so fragile and so rare. And our culture does everything to crush it. I mean even at four or five, they're coming into school attached to their phones, talking only about TV shows and video games. It's a materialistic culture, and it doesn't support art, or language, or observation. Even my own children, who are great, they don't read. You know, you think maybe it's just a phase. But I worry that it's something larger. A lack of curiosity. A lack of reflection. No one has space for poetry.”

The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) dir. Sara Colangelo.

[cinemuki]

The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) - dir. Sara Colangelo

No one has space for poetry.

[oldfilmsflicker]

The Kindergarten Teacher, 2018 (dir. Sara Colangelo)

[moviemosaics]

The Kindergarten Teacher

directed by Sara Colangelo, 2018

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Kindergarten Teacher (2018)

The Kindergarten Teacher has much in common with films (or real-life stories) in which a teacher falls for her student and inevitably ruins her career. What differentiates this drama is the asexual nature of the obsession. While the potential isn’t fully realized - particularly during the conclusion - there’s food for thought here and it’s bolstered by the great Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Kindergarten teacher Lisa (Gyllenhaal) is in a passionless marriage and increasingly disconnected from her two teenaged children. She attends weekly poetry classes but her writing is amateurish. One day, she overhears one of her students, Jimmy (Parker Sevak) reciting poetry. Believing she’s found a child prodigy, she takes it upon herself to nurture his talent.

 Written and directed by Sara Colangelo, this is an appropriately and effectively unglamorous film. Jimmy isn’t composing, creating abstract paintings which’ll sell for millions or solving advanced mathematical equations. He’s writing poems. No one makes a living as a poet. Furthermore, if there’s one form of writing whose merit depends entirely on the reader’s tastes, it’s poetry. It's perfect. You recognize Jimmy’s talent (it’s way better than the insipid stuff Lisa presents) but understand why it's gone unrecognized until now. This also creates an interesting uncertainty. Are Jimmy’s works actually good, or is Lisa just so desperate, so unfulfilled she’s looking to find something to latch onto? The suspense is kept for the bulk of the film and this is where it's at its best. 

There’s a delightful sort of discomfort here. As Lisa “nurtures” Jimmy’s talent with increasing enthusiasm, your stomach ties itself in knots. You see her carelessly drop hints something wrong is going on. You hope she’ll either realize what dark path she’s started on or that someone will see the signs and jolt her out of her folly. As her obsession deepens, you give up hoping for an intervention. Maybe her life will suddenly improve and she'll save herself? I wouldn’t say that you like her but she’s just such a sad human being you know jail time wouldn’t do her any good. Not many actresses would’ve been able to pull this off but Gyllenhaal does it with ease. Even the moments which should excite you - she has a number of nude scenes - it never feels tantalizing, only worrisome.

The Kindergarten Teacher is a bit like watching an episode of Hoarders. It’s uncomfortable and sad but something you're grateful for. Seeing that glimpse into this dark future self you might’ve become had it not been for an early bit of intervention is kinda therapeutic. Though the last shot somewhat undoes some of the ambiguity and power which came before, it’s quite… well, I don’t know if “enjoyable” is the right word, but certainly thought-provoking and moving. (On Netflix, January 26, 2019)

[bluecollarfilm]

The Kindergarten Teacher (2108)

When a Staten Island kindergarten teacher (Maggie Gyllenhaal) 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.

Directed by:   Sara Colangelo

Starring:   Maggie Gyllenhaal, Parker Sevak, Gael Garcia Bernal , Rosa Salazar, Ajay Naidu, Anna Baryshnikov, Michael Chernus

Release date:   October 12, 2018

[filmbook21]

[pigeons-sitting-on-branches]

The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) Sara Colangelo 19-10-2018 Quite an interesting story told in a very simple way and a neutral voice

[markagorman]

The Kindergarten Teacher: Movie Review.

The Kindergarten Teacher: Movie Review.

Of course any production starring Maggie Gyllenhaal is worthy of consideration because she is a great actor and has been since her breakout performance in Secretary.

Her Deuce (which she produced) was one of the great TV series of recent years and she really goes for it in whatever she does.  That invariably includes getting naked and she doesn’t let us down in that respect here either.

It’s a…

[vulturehound]

"I Think We Have a Young Mozart" – The Kindergarten Teacher (Film Review)

“I Think We Have a Young Mozart” – The Kindergarten Teacher (Film Review)

(more…)

[artfilmfan]

[watchingalotofmovies]

The Kindergarten Teacher

The Kindergarten Teacher    [trailer]

A kindergarten teacher in New York becomes obsessed with one of her students whom she believes is a child prodigy.

Lisa starts out meaning well, but she crosses the line from being supportive, well intentioned and caring, to being obsessed fairly quickly.

Outstanding performance by Gyllenhaal.

I haven't seen the Israeli movie this is based on. But now that I know the difficult story, I have to admit that my urge to see it is limited.

[cinemuki]

The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) - dir. Sara Colangelo

Anna is beautiful. Beautiful enough for me. The sun hits her yellow house. It’s almost like a sign from God.