🍿91: The Teachers' Lounge
This week, two great trailers and a feature review of Germany's Oscar entry.
“Those that can’t do, teach, and those that can’t teach, teach gym.”
~ School of Rock, 2003
Great Scott, Marty…
A bit of a rushed intro this week, as Mia got a last-minute press trip invitation to a whisky distillery in Bonnie Scotland — and I get to go with her! It does mean however that we woke up at 4AM this morning to make the flight. At the time of writing (11PM last night), I’m in bed wondering how I’ll survive with a mere five hours sleep. #humblebragoftheweek.
A quick TV catchup as we’ve been tucking into some new dramas: having just finished the first season of Fargo on Amazon Prime (loved it!), we find ourselves halfway through Ripley on Netflix (loving it) and have just started Sugar on Apple TV+.
While the jury’s out on Sugar, I’m enjoying the shared effort between that and Ripley to revive the Noir style, albeit with a modern twist. What have you been watching on TV recently? Let us know below — especially if it fits
On a completely unrelated note: following SP#90’s Fact of the Week about commercial cameos, it felt as though fate fed this ad, starring Martin Scorsese and his daughter Francesca Scorsese, to my algorithm.
Now for the headlines:
Studio Ghibli set to win an honorary Palme D’Or at Cannes. Read more
Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson to star in Naked Gun remake. Read more.
The UK’s first major film festival dedicated to Muslim cinema announced its inaugural lineup on Tuesday. Read more.
And finally, Riz Ahmed joins Wes Anderson’s latest film. Read more.
Upcoming Releases
Joker: Folie à Deux
UK: 4 October // USA: 4 October
In case you missed it, Warner Bros. released the trailer to Todd Phillips’s award-winning Joker last week. In it, failed comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital.
Speak No Evil
UK: 13 September // USA: 13 September
Based on a 2022 Dutch film of the same name, a family is invited to spend a weekend in an idyllic country house, their dream trip quickly becomes a psychological nightmare.
Fact of the week
In an interview with Graham Norton, Ethan Hawke explained that while working alongside Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, Williams was always improvising between takes to get a laugh out of the cast and crew. Hawke however, who wanted to be “a serious actor”, would try his hardest not to give in, which only made Williams try harder…
It’s not an anecdote to be written, it’s one that you need to hear Hawke tell himself, here’s the clip:
Review: The Teachers’ Lounge
Star rating:
4.5 (out of 5)
Where to watch:
USA: AppleTV ($5.99) / Prime Video ($5.99)
UK: Select Cinemas
Runtime:
1hr 38m
Director:
İlker Çatak
Blurb:
When one of her students is suspected of theft, Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch) gets involved. Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her.
The review (NO spoilers):
Germany’s official Oscar entry, The Teachers’ Lounge is a dazzling display of tension devoid of dull moments. With strong performances all around you’ll likely watch this film with a clenched jaw and gritted teeth.
Leonie Benesch delivers an incredible performance as a teacher torn between her ideals and school protocol. Despite having the best intentions, she finds herself caught in the middle of a controversy that puts her under the scrutiny of her pupils, their parents and her colleagues. Her inner turmoil, unwavering resolve and the mounting pressures of her situation come across brilliantly.
Director İlker Çatak wastes no time setting the premise and diving into the drama. Through his use of prolonged close-ups, we see into the depths of every expression that Benesch wears. While we follow Carla throughout the film, almost exclusively seeing events unfold through her perspective, these close-ups help further strengthen the bond between her and the audience. Meanwhile, Martin Miller’s modern classical score amplifies every part of her performance as we see her character pushed to the brink.
As for the plot, this is a story that moves in unexpected ways. It shines a light on several aspects of the human condition, including deceit, desperation and cruelty, but kindness most of all. Despite everything thrown at her, and no matter how rude her pupils are (some of them are awful!), Carla’s patience remains strong (for the most part) and her dedication to her students comes above all else.
If it had to be described in five words, I’d say this film is ‘Boiling Point in a school’. The tension is palpable, the performances excellent and the story original. It’s a must-see.
Scroll down to see what’s in the next issue.
If you liked The Teachers’ Lounge…
The Kindergarten Teacher
2018 | UK: Mubi / Prime Video (£3.49) // USA: Netflix
This US adaptation of an Israeli film tells the story of Lisa (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who tries to help a young student explore his talents after she realises he’s a prodigy.
Other than the general theme, The Teachers’ Lounge has little in common with this film (it is much more like Boiling Point), but I enjoyed it and there aren’t many opportunities to recommend it.
In the next issue:
Challengers
UK: 26 April // USA: 26 April | Watch the Trailer
In loving memory…
This week’s issue of Salty Popcorn is dedicated to Libby.
Love the dedication 😇