Miss Stevens

I caught this charming little indie on Netflix before I heard of Timothee Chalamet or had seen Call Me By Your Name. The plot revolves around a well meaning although slightly sad and lonely teacher, played by an excellent Lily Rabe, who takes three of her students to an out of town drama competition. One student, Billy (Timothee Chalamet), she is warned has emotional and behavioral issues.

From the drive to the festival to the rehearsals and social events leading up to the competition, the film is filled with both funny and poignant moments. Billy develops a crush on Miss Stevens and his charm and youthful energy draw her to him as well, something that both comforts and scares her..

What I loved about Timothee Chalamet's performance was that he was always in character, always reacting in ways that subtly show he has feelings for his teacher. He is a depressed kid with possible ADHD, but he feels deeply and the longing he has for his teacher is moving and palpable. When he performs his monologue from Death of A Salesman, it's clear he's channeled those repressed feelings into his performance. It also may be the best I've ever heard that monologue done. At that moment, a star was born both in the film and in real life.

Based on how I loved Timothée Chalamet's performance in Call Me by Your Name, I decided to watch this as soon as I found it on Netflix. And here, he stars alongside actresses from American Horror Story (Lily Rabe) and Riverdale (Lili Reinhart). While Call Me by Your Name was touching, I don't know, something about Miss Stevens hit me even harder. Maybe it's because I've never necessarily experienced love and heartbreak like Elio Perlman did; I found myself feeling sorrier for Billy, because he's a young teen suffering from depression, and there's this scene - without giving much away - where he tells Stevens, who he's formed a bit of a connection with, how his medication just makes him feel numb, but has been feeling great for the whole weekend. I also happen to adore stories in which teachers bond with their students. This has pretty much cemented my love for indie films.

Also, I actually thought that Billy and Rachel were going to become romantically involved, and was ready to join in on the meme by saying: "Gee, Timothée! How come your mom lets you have two older partners?"

I really enjoyed Miss Stevens in a way I didn't think I would. The story was emotional, felt real and really drew me in. There were some moments especially in the first act that almost felt like something big was going to happen but it never did. But that just added to the feeling of honesty and reality that I love in this movie. All the acting is top notch especially from Timothée Chalamet. His performance is layered and touching and he is incredibly magnetic to watch. Check this movie out if you have 90 minutes to kill and have a Netflix account. You won't be disappointed.

Another hidden gem. Deep and meaningful motifs that resonate with viewers. The story gives you a glimpse into a optimistic yet accurate outlook on how life could be if we as a people weren't afraid to make risky decisions and were brave enough to trust ourselves and others to let help with problems or obstacles you may not be able to fix alone.

The movie is funny, has a lot of charm and a lot of heart. Driven by great acting performances by the leads including an exceptional outing by a star in the making Timothee Chalamet.

This movie touched me the way not many movies have in a very long time. This movie is simple yet so deeply thoughtful and beautifully portrayed. I think I am gonna remember the movie and performances for long and long.