WiFilmFest 2012 Encore: "Monsieur Lazhar" at Sundance
Post by Dan Walkner on 6/29/2012 10:04am
Monsieur Lazhar
Canada | 2011 | 94 min | 35mm |
In French with English subtitles
Starts today at Sundance Cinemas in Madison
This review originally appeared as part of our Wisconsin Film Festival 2012 coverage
A friend of mine, a kindergarten teacher, nearly blew one of her student's minds when she told him that the large wooden door in the back of the classroom was simply where she hung her jacket; she didn't live in there. Realizing that teachers have lives outside of grading papers and writing report cards is something that children seldom consider. In the case of Monsieur Lazhar, played by Mohamed Fellag in this Oscar-nominated film, his life is complicated by his immigration status and a recent family tragedy that he has only just begun to process. Also, to complicate matters, he takes over a classroom left vacant by a young teacher's suicide.
In the film, written and directed by Philippe Felardeau, loud and lively children are juxtaposed with shots of the institutional sterility of the school building. Visions of cold and drab hallways open to apartments bursting with African violets and other eye catching décor. Looking out the window of his mundane flat, Lazhar sees snowflakes trickling like bits of spinning silver.
The visual dichotomy lends itself to the characters as well. Lazhar, at first, seems like an out of date task-master, but when consulting with Claire, a colleague, he fears for the future of the kids and worries his teaching is not good enough. Alice, who quickly becomes Lazhar's favorite, is sweet and kind to all but Simon, who she resents for his possible involvement in the breakdown of their former teacher.
The school setting is incredibly realistic. In hiring Lazhar, the principal is wrangling with the same bureaucratic forces we deal with in our school system including licenses, waivers, calming parent's fears and all the rest. In a few instances, Lazhar had to hold his tongue, even though he was right and knew what needed to be done. Once he was trying to tell a set of parents that their daughter was too bossy in a politically correct way, and in another scene, he was lobbying the principal with a strategy that he felt would help the students process the abundance of grief they carried. Denied on both fronts.
Monsieur Lazhar is many things but never sappy or contrived. It feels lived in and comfortable, even when you can sense the tension and pain that is being dealt with. It is real life. There are laughs, mistakes, lies, tears and everything else that make great films great. It isn't a Hollywood fairy tale; it leaves as many questions unanswered as answered. It creates more problems than it solves. But when the credits roll, you simply wish they would start it all over and play it again.
Dan Walkner is a musician, teacher, and writer. He has a fierce Wisconsin accent. He's currently working on a book about substitute teaching and a country-rock opera.
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WiFilmFest 2012 Encore: "Monsieur Lazhar" at Sundance
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Monsieur Lazhar at Sundance
Submitted by Shawn J. Buono (not verified) on Sat, 2013-02-09 00:34.
I am curious what others are saying such great things about the film. But still it is a great job and I look forward to reading more your coverage of Sundance!
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Elizabeth J. Whitaker (not verified) on Wed, 2013-02-13 08:02.
the role of Monsieur Lazhar is excellent, his interpretation of his character utterly persuading in his unassuming and often understated acting. The child actors, especially the two interpreting Simon and Alice, come across as natural and genuine.
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WiFilmFest 2012 Encore
Submitted by Pamela G. Parkinson (not verified) on Thu, 2013-03-21 22:23.
Monsieur Lazhar is a complex, multi-layered tale that reveals new meanings as it introduces each new character. The film is rich in naturalistic, tossed-off details.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Tonya J. Merriam (not verified) on Wed, 2013-03-27 21:38.
Monsieur Lazhar is an adaptation of Évelyne de la Chenelière's stage play, and is produced by Luc Déry and Kim McCraw, the same team that gave us the Oscar-nominated Incendies. This will probably please most adult viewers and older teens may get a lot out of it as well.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Lena J. Carr (not verified) on Fri, 2013-03-29 23:51.
The basis of this film is quite simple. Slow movie with an open ending. I had expected more from this Canadian Foreign entry for the Oscars. This was an utterly absorbing film with performances from all involved that were brilliant. Very unbelievable!
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Emmanuel C. Nilles (not verified) on Fri, 2013-04-05 10:33.
A deeply touching movie about loss, guilt and uprooting, it manages to address complex issues with elegance and subtlety, while avoiding the trap of sentimentality. The young actors are uniformly good and believable, and Falardeau's skillful and delicate direction fits remarkably well the tone and subject of its film.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Florence S. Jacobson (not verified) on Sat, 2013-04-06 07:14.
The story is simple and profound, contemporary and timeless at the same time. After the suicide of a grade school class teacher, a new teacher appears ready to take over the class.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Donald J. Abramowitz (not verified) on Mon, 2013-04-08 06:56.
This is a very good movie. It represents the unfortunate state we live in where presumed expertise and societal fears subjugate compassion and the personal touch that so many crave. Well written and well acted!
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Michael N. Bruno (not verified) on Thu, 2013-04-11 07:21.
Brilliant and moving from start to finish. Wonderfully realistic acting by everyone concerned. Do not miss it, if you cannot see it in a movie theater, rent it, and you'll probably finish up buying it, it's that good.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Tina L. Wallace (not verified) on Fri, 2013-04-12 09:27.
Technically, the film has a near perfect touch. It's a film you'll enjoy owning so that it can be viewed on multiple occasions. And being a foreign film, you can bet that most of your friends and family haven't seen it.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Gloria G. Owen (not verified) on Sat, 2013-04-13 02:04.
The story itself seems implausible on several levels but I think it does provide some insight into caring, and getting over tragedy or just the experience of witnessing a tragedy.
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"Monsieur Lazhar" at Sundance
Submitted by Jack J. Rose (not verified) on Wed, 2013-04-17 06:56.
Monsieur Lazhar is another in a long line of inspirational teacher films set to show viewers that teachers are an unending source of inspiration and worldly advice. It is a heart-warming, but at the same time, heart-wrenching story of how people trying to come to terms with the loss of a family member.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Andrew C. Wardlow (not verified) on Thu, 2013-04-18 08:07.
This film has gathered many favourable reviews. The acting throughout is very impressive, especially from those playing the schoolchildren, with some very moving and luminous performances.
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"Monsieur Lazhar" at Sundance
Submitted by Lucy J. Gonzalez (not verified) on Fri, 2013-04-19 02:08.
A wonderfully understated window on a human tragedy. It was very instructive to see the life of a school in Montreal and perhaps some of the more closed mentalities the Director exposes. Never sentimental but somehow eminently believable the acting by the children especially is a tour de force.
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"Monsieur Lazhar" at Sundance
Submitted by Angela J. Flowers (not verified) on Sat, 2013-04-20 09:00.
Monsieur Lazhar is a heart-warming, but at the same time, heart-wrenching story of how people trying to come to terms with the loss of a family member. It is a worthy of the honors it has received and worth a trip to the theatre.
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Monsieur Lazhar at Sundance
Submitted by Lucinda C. Adams (not verified) on Mon, 2013-04-22 08:46.
Monsieur Lazhar is another in a long line of inspirational teacher films set to show viewers that teachers are an unending source of inspiration and worldly advice. It tells how people in the school cope after a tragedy.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Bonnie J. McAnally (not verified) on Wed, 2013-04-24 02:16.
Monsieur Lazhar is another in a long line of inspirational teacher films set to show viewers that teachers are an unending source of inspiration and worldly advice. The film continues to show the effects of death and the ways that the children try to deal with the loss, but also their grief, which at times seem to be stifled by the school.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Regina K. Vines (not verified) on Fri, 2013-04-26 08:00.
The story is simple and profound, contemporary and timeless at the same time. After the suicide of a grade school class teacher, a new teacher appears ready to take over the class. Monsieur Lazhar brings such a deep humanity to his job, that the traumatized kids are able to come to terms in some ways with what has happened.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by James V. Winston (not verified) on Fri, 2013-04-26 21:22.
This is a very good movie. It represents the unfortunate state we live in where presumed expertise and societal fears subjugate compassion and the personal touch that so many crave. Well written and well acted.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Shelly L. Lyon (not verified) on Mon, 2013-04-29 03:22.
I absolutely loved this movie! As heartbreaking the theme is, the exquisite acting and the underlying feeling of love throughout is deeply felt. You will laugh and cry.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Tracy M. Maguire (not verified) on Tue, 2013-04-30 08:25.
Monsieur Lazhar is about an immigrant from Algeria named Bachir Lazhar, who applies for a job at the local elementary school when there is a position open. I am very happy to say that Monsieur Lazhar avoided all that and went through a different formula with it's storytelling.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Darrell L. Carlson (not verified) on Wed, 2013-05-01 07:50.
Brilliant and moving from start to finish. Wonderfully realistic acting by everyone concerned. Do not miss it. If you cannot see it in a movie theater, rent it, and you'll probably finish up buying it, it's that good.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Tuan K. Franco (not verified) on Thu, 2013-05-02 08:48.
This film is a beautiful rendering of a stage play about love and loss, but also about hope. The only things not perfect are the characters, for this writer and director have been too careful to give them.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by David Y. Blackmon (not verified) on Fri, 2013-05-03 06:00.
Monsieur Lazhar begins in the dead of winter, follows his work in the classroom all the way through until summer. It is one of this year's Academy Award nominees in the foreign-language film category, is that it has no simple questions and simple answers.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by Guillermo F. Vaughn (not verified) on Tue, 2013-05-07 06:09.
This is a very good movie. It was an excellent film. Tender, touching but not overly sentimental. I strongly recommend everyone sees it.
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Monsieur Lazhar
Submitted by James R. Johnson (not verified) on Thu, 2013-05-09 07:29.
Monsieur Lazhar becomes a deeply affecting film not for pathos but for the way sadness is conveyed so subtly. Deeply touching movie!
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