An Extremely Nutty Teacher

Andre Pinto's 2011 Brazilian film is adapted from Ziraldo's book of the same name. Cate, eighteen, returns from studying in the capital to her small town in Minas Gerais and starts teaching in a primary school. Her way of teaching wins the children over at once and unsettles the conservative staff of the forties. The film is aimed at young viewers but its nostalgia is for adults. The narrative is built as a flashback, with a former pupil, now grown, remembering those years. That structure sets its emotional tone. Ziraldo is a children's author read across generations in Brazil, and this adaptation stays close to the source. Chico Anysio takes a supporting role. The visual language is bright and the period design careful. Who it's for: those who like family films and adaptations of Brazilian children's literature. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a narrative aimed at adults; the film has clearly identified its audience.