Hannah Fidell’s FX Sexual Predation series forces complexity, but collapses with consequences [Review]

Acclaimed indie filmmaker Hannah Fidell“A teacher”(2013) was a career debut. Somewhere between psychological thriller and character studies – a portrait of a woman who is slowly disappearing – lay the drama of a Texas high school teacherLindsay Burdge) have a sexual affair with their student. “A teacher” was impressively ambiguous in its persuasive ideas about desperation, the crucial things missing in our lives, and the ways damaged people make dangerous efforts to fill them. What made the film a bold highlight – in hindsight compared to 2020 – is the way the teacher’s horribly misguided actions are implicit and speak for themselves.

“A teacher, “However – Fiddells FX The television remake of her own film, now turned into a ten-part, limited-edition series, is almost never ambiguous about anything that is almost fraught with consequences and accountability once explored the more intriguing complexities of sexual dynamics and ideas of desire are. This new series version feels a lot like a 2020 product as the idea of ​​portraying sexual predators responsibly often overshadows the storytelling itself, and it does so to the detriment of the show’s drama. While the series is engaging at first – well shot, handcrafted, and acted out – it ends up feeling almost like an excuse for not speaking about sexual predators in its original film, while at the same time it has no doubt explicitly condemned its own main character.

“ONE
The teacher focuses on Claire Wilson (Kate Mara), a quiet young teacher
a suburban Texas high school and the relationship that develops with it
Student Eric Walker (Nick Robinson). Claire is stuck in what seems to them
Be a perfectly good, but usually boring, marriage to college sweetheart Matt
Mitchell (Ashley Zukerman). But warning signs from deep seated
Dissatisfaction rings early; something is missing and Claire wants more.

While the relationship began in the media in the 2013 version, it was pointed out in this new update that the show sometimes seems cautious about how it “grooms” it while pointing out something much more complicated. This contradicting tension runs through the entire show, much like studio notes to a filmmaker or a filmmaker who is extremely aware of the hyper-vigilant discussions that might arise from their show (like the pedophile QAnon nuts, who blame Hollywood for the sex trade).

Claires
Debate about using IVF to get pregnant, but her husband seems to be more
keen to raise a family than them. Desperate for connection, Claire
quickly makes friends with Kathryn Sanders (Marielle Scott), but
Things start to change when she meets Eric, a charming student and the popular
Soccer team captain. Eric is a senior outgoing woman in her English class
for help preparing for his SAT test and the stealthy glances between them soon
begin with alchemical attraction, intimacy gushing on the lip of the lips and then threaten
become something highly inappropriate.

Six of the ten episodes are from Fidell (Gillian Robespierre, and Andrew Neel Sub in for two extra eps each) and the tense buildup of their affair is exciting. Mara and Robinson are excellent, and “A Teacher” is best when the series expresses ideas of sexual or otherwise desires and all the things that are missing in our lives that can lead people to become interested in illegal matters or dangerous excitement yearnings that can easily make themselves -destroy in their own life. The secret thrill of secret flirting and texting and keeping secret from the world – the filmmakers are distinguished by their persecution and let “A Teacher” get intoxicated with ideas of thirst and dangerously incorrect longing (a soundtrack from dreamy indie pop helps ).

If that sounds too alarmingly enthusiastic, it’s because the show is both unsettlingly designed and much stronger in the first half. The shows put the viewer on a suggestive and captivating ride With the protagonists, and then suddenly both switch on affectively (and yes, that’s unsettling to admit and experience as a viewer).

But then reality has to strike when limits are exceeded. And it almost becomes the unwanted, wet ceiling of the show, like when the hard lights at a bar come up after work and the entire once attractive situation feels extremely uncomfortable. Yes, the relationship is alarming, immoral, and criminal from the start, but the show is meant to seduce you as convincingly as Eric was seduced by Claire (and, to be fair, vice versa).

Shit goes sideways as it should, but then “A Teacher” goes by at least three episodes in which most stories would end. Claire goes to jail, Claire has tried to rebuild her ruined life, Claire gets into deeply unhealthy sexual relationships based on the self-loathing she now has for herself, etc. Meanwhile, the strongly implied message is that Claire’s life is one destroyed others and now we can see the blatant consequences of their utterly destroyed lives.

On the one hand and theoretically great. Applaud the well-intentioned, well-done show that demonstrates the high cost of abuse and the utter destruction of their lives. But that’s a drama, and “A Teacher” quickly becomes a long and drawn-out punitive epilogue that goes beyond its greetings. And it’s persistent in that it’s almost like an after-school special about the consequences that might be shown to potential sex offenders upon the release of their first wrongdoing. And finally, it’s just dramatically sluggish and feels like hitting a dead horse and not letting the audience understand on their own how wrong and amoral Claire was with Erik (like in the original film).

In portraying all of the post-crime events – Claire with her family, her estranged father (M.C. Gainey), her disappointed brother (Adam David Thompson), Eric trying to move on and suffer in college relationships – the filmmakers clearly want to be accountable and investigate the aftermath of personal disaster, the permanent damage caused by unsolvable choices, and the scarring that will never wear off. It’s admirable, and arguably different from most of the things you see on TV. Unfortunately, none of this is surprising and alluring, much of it is deeply depressing, all of it is anti-climactic and the idea of ​​moral obligation and accountability replaces the need to create compelling drama. What would you make them do? The answers are uncertain, but it’s clear that this iteration of “A Teacher” doesn’t get quite the same high marks. [C+]