So it is with Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch), the protagonist ofThe Teachers Lounge.
Nowak is not an evil human being.
Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her.
Image via Sony Pictures Classics
If youre the good cop in a given scenario, youre still a cop, after all.
Kauffmans cinematography vividly reflects that with its tight framing leaning on that 1.37:1 aspect ratio.
Just the performances and camerawork are enough to carry this tense reunion.
When one of her students is suspected of theft, teacher Carla Nowak decides to get to the bottom of the matter. Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her.
The mastery informing such sparse scenes told through steady camerawork makes more overwhelming sequences inThe Teachers Loungeremarkably powerful.
That earlier parent/teacher night saw Nowak still thinking she could exhibit some level of control over the world.
The contrasts between these two sequences crystallize the precise filmmaking on display here.
Image via Alamode Film
She has to be a soothing, but firm authority figure for her students.
Nowak is always being pulled in so many different directions and obligations.
Theres a discernible sense of humanity in those eyes that captures your attention and often your sympathy as well.
Just a facial expression from this performer speaks volumes about whats going on under the surface for Nowak.
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It is a story riddled with morally ambiguous behavior and characters navigating their nuanced psychologies.
The Teachers Loungeis now available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
WATCH ON NETFLIX
