Monsieur Lazhar

Monsieur Lazhar repeat of review

No wonder this film won an award at TIFF 2011.It is the Canadian entry for the Oscars in the best foreign film category. It was produced by the same talent who made the memorable Incendies last year. This is one of the best films of the year. The Quebec film industry continues to produce some of the best films in the world. Unfortunately we don’t always get to see them in Toronto.

When I arrived at the TIFF Bell Lightbox I was informed it was sold out. I said I would claw my way into the theatre or crawl on all fours. I was not going to miss this presentation of one of the 10 best Canadian films of the year. I was lucky enough to get a seat in the front row.

There is no violence. There is no suspense. There is no yelling and screaming. There is pure emotion well handled. Each actor is outstanding in his role. The children are memorable.

This is a multi layered film and there is much you want to think about when it is all over.

The film opens in a school yard in Montreal. Right from the beginning the cinematography captures the spirit of the children. It is so real and so believable. One parent kisses her child goodbye and leaves for work. A boy pulls the hat from another boy’s head. A young girl looks sweetly at a boy. The officious teacher in charge stands in the school yard with the whistle ready. I was in education for over 30 years and I recognized every child in that schoolyard.

A teacher at this school had just committed suicide. We deal with the emotions faced by the grieving children. One boy feels guilty because of his previous actions. Others mourn her loss for different reasons.

Monsieur Lazhar is hired as a replacement. He is from Algeria and claims he had taught for 19 years. He is such a wonderful character and his portrayal is worthy of an Oscar. He has a sense of humor. He is sensitive to the children’s needs. He empathizes with their feelings of loss. He doesn’t like to see a child being bullied. His teaching methods are a little rusty but he reaches out to each child as a good teacher should.

Monsieur Lazhar brings his own baggage with him. We learn about his family tragedy in Algeria. We feel his pain and admire him for trying so hard to move ahead in his new country. Because of what he had endured in Algeria he has the sensitivity and wisdom to know how to help others.

Monsieur Lazhar has to fight for his rights to remain in Montreal. He pleads the fact that he will be murdered if he returns to his home land.

One of the female staff takes a shine to Monsieur Lazhar. I understood her needs and wants. I could also see that he was not ready for such a situation.

The children are the most amazing actors. Any class is full of a variety of children. The film clearly shows the faces and you get inside their soul. You laugh and you cry at the same time. The scenarios are so real.

One boy is called into the Director’s office for hitting another boy. He has many deep seated emotions related to the death of the teacher and he took out his frustration on the other boy. He stands in the office biting his lip. He holds his arms together and has a nervous look on his face.

This is a film about human understanding. It deals with loss of innocence and coping with tragedy. It gets inside the characters. You see and feel their soul.

It is now short listed for best foreign film award for the OSCARS