How sad is this?

Expected more

A lot of fun.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

As a teacher I was deeply impressed by this movie. It says in a delicate but clear way sometruths about our profession. In particular I was stunned by the profound true paranoia about physical contact with children. And I was very annoyed by the interference of families in teaching. I quote: "We prefer that you teach our daughter, not try to raise her."This happens daily in real life: family think that children are their intouchable property. Here in Italy almost daily we get news about relatives who go to school and threaten and even beat teachers!Furthermore this movie deals with doing the right thing. Some parents hate the new teacher and when they discover that he has not the right papers they get him fired. This is legally "right" but it is unfair from the point of view of the children who suffer two losses.I loved this movie for the fine acting, the right pace, the freedom it gives to the viewers to make an opinion by themselves. And my conclusion is that the main character had no titles to teach and he had to be fired even if he was fine and he was the right person for the class. But this is sad, really sad.

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!

A Canadian film, set in Quebec, deals with the sudden death by suicide of a popular teacher at a middle school, and the effect on the twelve year old students there. In need of a quick replacement, an Algerian immigrant is hired to take over the classroom. He connects with the children within a short time, and the drama is told from his and the kids perspective. This is a very subtle movie, with no sudden surprises, but just a quiet and thoughtful telling of the meaning of life and death, with outstanding performances from everyone involved. Mohamed Fellag is absolutely believable as the deeply caring Mr. Lazhar, a man who has sought refuge in Canada and wishes to have a profound impact on his classroom. He has escaped political persecution from Algeria and is forced to deal with bureaucracies, both at the school and from an immigration panel. Monsieur Lazhar well worth your time.

This film is about a substitute teacher who fills in after a class teacher hanged herself inside the classroom."Monsieur Lazhar" tells how people in the school cope after a tragedy. The children react in different ways, some leave the school, some talk about it and some act out. It is a challenge for Mr Lazhar, who has a traumatic past but he does not show this aspect of him in the classroom. Mr Lazhar's tragedy is brutal and spine chilling. However, the irony is that his tragedy is so understated in the film, that it almost appears that his traumatic past in Algeria is insignificant in a suburban Canadian community. Maybe this is to highlight different people have different perspectives and different problems to worry about.