paperbackboy This tightly written gem manages to pack a powerful emotional punch, while avoiding clichés and "cheap shots" - no easy task in a film that examines the emotions of 11/12-year-old schoolchildren and their teachers.The acting is for the most part charmingly low-key, and the action minimal, leaving the viewer wanting more, right up to the calmly controlled yet emotional ending (no spoilers here!). The movie also raises some interesting (and highly topical) issues about physical contact with children in the classroom or at summer camp (hugging, patting on the back, applying sunscreen, wiping a bloody nose, etc.). While one minor character expresses the popular viewpoint, the film contains several key scenes designed to let viewers make up their own minds.Highly recommended - I rarely give anything 8 out of 10!

secondtake Monsieur Lazhar (2011)A very straightforward, somewhat predictable film that is so nicely made, and has such an oddly charming main character, you'll likely go along happily all the way. I don't think it's some kind of gem or masterpiece, as much as I was thrilled at the ending, which means it built me up beautifully up to that point.We might see two common genres mixed here. One is the school drama, with the inevitable starring teacher and a student or two who causes trouble, either literally or of the illicit love type. Then there is the immigrant story, especially an illegal, and the necessary subterfuges and adaptations all around. So the main character, Bachir, is a newly arrived Algerian immigrant who lands, by charm and perseverance, a job as a teacher in the a Montreal school. He is replacing a woman who committed suicide by hanging herself in her classroom (with the students at recess).All this is told quickly, with high drama of course (suicide is none but). And there is a tragic desperation injected right away. Even the students carry this on, traumatized and yet still children, fussing and jerking their way forward in their own odd (and lovable) ways.So the teacher adjusts, slowly, getting to the know the students and their psychological trappings. He also is coming to terms with his own situation (a couple of dull immigration meetings are shown, and though maybe necessary, maybe not). Other teachers watch and sometimes help, or try to get to know him. He meanwhile wins over the reclucant class of kids.I'm actually telling a bit of the story and leaving out what matters most—the compelling leading man, who is a show of his own, restrained and awkward and sympathetic. But I'm also letting on that these events are one we've seen many times before. There are some small twists, and there is a high level of steady (and sincere) competence at work, but we do have a familiar tale at the bottom.Well done? Yes. Commanding? Mostly, yes. Moving and new? Sometimes. It's worth seeing if you like low key, serious, contemporary films.

CinemaClown Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Monsieur Lazhar is an elegantly crafted, patiently narrated & wonderfully performed cinema that brings on screen a bittersweet story of love, loss & grief shared between a teacher & his students. And while it may look like a cinema about teacher-pupil bonding, Monsieur Lazhar is much more than that.Set in Montreal, Monsieur Lazhar follows Bachir Lazhar; an Algerian immigrant who is hired to replace an elementary school teacher after she commits suicide in her classroom. While the cultural gap at first creates a barrier between the two, Lazhar is eventually able to earn the respect of his students while they recover from their recent loss but in the process, his own dark past is revealed.Directed by Philippe Falardeau, Monsieur Lazhar is told with great sensitivity & is beautifully composed from start to finish. The film does capture Lazhar's relationship with his students & faculty but what makes it such an endearing experience is the evident difference in two cultures, his struggle in adapting to school's educational reforms, the discussions he has with his pupils about tender issues & his own tragic loss.Cinematography makes brilliant use of the cold colour palette, the ambiance of a classroom is authentically captured, camera movements are very relaxed, Editing makes sure almost every scene contributes to the story in one way or another plus the whole picture is steadily paced, use of background score is minimal but effective whenever it makes its presence felt and the performance by every cast member is impressive.On an overall scale, Monsieur Lazhar is an heartwarming & heartbreaking cinema that offers a rare glimpse at the roles teachers are asked to play not only by the school system but the students' parents as well, and has a thing or two to say about the lies we tell our children. Boosted by great all-round performances, deepened by its rich cinematography yet feeling slightly incomplete by its lack of detail, Monsieur Lazhar is a work of surprising boldness & maturity that comes thoroughly recommended.

bandw A grade school in Quebec has unexpectedly lost a teacher. Mr. Lazhar, a recent immigrant from Algeria, aggressively pursues the vacant position and lands the job. What follows avoids the overt sentimentality frequently on display in the teacher vs. students genre. In fact there is a tendency to underplay the emotion, which I found to be effective.Lazhar gives no hint to his class that he is privately dealing with his own loss, but he is finely attuned to what the students are going through. He gently tries to encourage the students to talk about what has happened at the school, in spite of the official policy of trying to suppress any mention of it. An ongoing theme is to show how official school policies tend to block communication between student and teacher. Any sort of physical contact is forbidden, all the way from a gentle slap on the head, to a pat on the back, to (heaven forbid) a hug. I particularly liked how small scenes add context and depth, like the fifteen-second scene that shows the school janitor shooting hoops on the school grounds, or Lazhar doing exercises in his apartment while reading a book, or Lazhar drying clothes on a rack in his apartment. There are moving scenes such as the one where Lazhar looks at a photo of his children, inter-cut with images of some of his students, the implication being that his children and his students share a place in his mind. The editing is terse with scenes ending without unnecessary elaboration.The children, eleven and twelve year olds, are natural actors. Put me in front of a camera at that age and I would have been as stiff as a board. It amazed me that the main boy was so powerful in one of the climactic scenes. These kids are not little angels, but I suspect that most grade school teachers would envy how well behaved they are.The experiences that Lazhar has as an immigrant in a different culture provide an interesting subtext. He speaks French, but, according to the students, a prehistoric version. They delight in correcting him. There is a fantastic scene were, alone in his classroom and listening to music from a school party coming from another room, Lazhar does a subtle little dance that gives some insight into what he had been like in his native land. Some classical chamber music, as well as original music by Martin Léon, provide eloquent accompaniment for the overall restrained approach.This movie drew me in and fully engaged me from beginning to end.