Eric is a playboy who genuinely loves his partner and would like to show her how much he cares for her. He appreciates Dorota’s son, Titus, who causes educational problems no less – the thing is, the boy completely ignores him. When Eric decides to attend a kindergarten parents’ council meeting, he accidentally learns that he is about to turn into a court of law against a naughty five-year-old. Initially driven by somewhat selfish motives, Guy finds out a lot about a would-be father when he decides to fight to stop the others from expelling Tytus from Kindergarten. During the rehearsal before the birth play, there will be many quarrels, confessions, reconciliations, and a completely unexpected turn of events.
Something that initially promised to be a simple black comedy, which would focus on the battle between Eric and Justina (one of the mothers most interested in getting rid of Titus), unexpectedly turned into a festival of exposing parental fears and vulnerabilities. “Night in the Kindergarten” turns out to be a bittersweet portrait of many modern caregivers, who are often horribly ashamed of their own absurdities and ignorance, mask their horror in various ways, and unable to deal not only with their own children, but also with their own feelings. .
What’s great about “The Night” is that the apparent inconsistencies have a credible foundation – and in the end, no one comes off as the “bad guy” here, because everyone is equally (but in a different way) imperfect. Everyone tries but with different results. Interestingly, the mentioned Justyna unexpectedly turns out to be the most interesting and multidimensional of the characters – Lena Góra, who plays her, stole the show, resulting in maternal stubbornness and courage, and then – after the facades cracked – a lovely fragility and warmth. “Night at Kindergarten” is a very warm movie overall. Full of heart and good intentions. Sometimes creators are harsh with their heroines and heroes, but they look at them with sympathy and understanding. It may be trivial, but it’s always worth remembering that the vast majority of us don’t really know what we’re doing – even though we mean well.
I would also like to add that Baranovsky took care – finally! Really great dialogues and cutscenes. The joke on “Night” can be corny, but it’s also honest, real, and not imposing. This is rare in Polish cinema.
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