Diana, a high school teacher who lives in Austin, Texas, begins to fall head-first into a relationship with one of her teenage students, Eric. What at first appears to be a somewhat innocent companionship, all things considered, quickly spirals out of control as Diana becomes increasingly attached to Eric. Hanna Fidell's A Teacher is a character-study that is incredibly simplistic in approach but still affecting in its dissection of this somewhat tragic character. A Teacher is a film that is difficult to watch at times, not because of the edgy subject matter, but because Fidell never completely takes the viewer into Diana's point-of-view. More like an outsider, we are able to simply watch this fragile and damaged individual go down a path which we know will inevitably end poorly. That isn't to say the viewer doesn't get into the psyche of Diana at all, it just chooses to be ambiguous about exactly how and why she would fall into a relationship like this in the first place. There is a small scene early in the film between Diana and her brother that subtlety hints at Diana's damaged past but it never shines any true light into her exact issues. This ambiguity along with Fidell's story decisions create a character in Diana whose trapped between her emotions and morals, making the film a sharp emotional experience. Featuring a powerful lead performance by Diana Watts, A Teacher is a simple, yet engrossing examination of a damaged individual. 7.75/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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