Sara Colangelo’s The KinderGarten Teacher is one of those rare films
where actor intent, writing intent and directing intent all come together as
they should and create something with a message beyond as solid than anything
one is expecting when they watch this film.
The Kindergarten Teacher is about Lisa Spinelli played by Maggie
Gyllenhaal, a kindergarten teacher recently intrigued by poetry and who
frequently attends a poetry night class. One day she unexpectedly finds out one
of her child students has a knack for creating impactful insightful poetry,
which takes Lisa in a irresponsible direction, way beyond anyone’s
expectations.
The Kindergarten Teacher is the most interestingly uncomfortable
character study to come out this year and/or to be released on Netflix. Maggie
Gyllenhaal does possibly her best performance, portraying a self-centered
delusional white female, who through white privilege believes she knows best
when it comes to her brown Kindergarten students poetry skills. The films point
propels Lisa to convince her young students brown family and everyone around
her that her students a genius, while all the while making herself look good
and unfortunately, kidnaping a child’s innocence. As the story progresses, Lisa
becomes increasingly creepily and ironically narcissistic, and just as you feel
sympathy towards Lisa, she does something to detour your perception of
her.
The Kindergarten Teacher is a fine experiment in tone and story
progression, and no matter what is perceived by the end of the film, one thing
automatically comes to mind.........neglect. 9/10.
- Maurice Jones
