I said this was the best movie ever the day after I watched it and am still saying it a decade later (though I have not watched it lately) It is slowly but perfectly paced. The action tales place within, and at the end it serves up your hart on a silver platter... The catharsis is deep but not painful like in Pan's Labyrinth or Jacob's Ladder, this movie stole my heart without ripping it out my chest. Oh the plot and so on? Don't worry about that, you would not be watching this movie for "a plot" though will not miss it either if you seek humanity in cinema.

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.

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.

Monsieur Lazhar is a very moving film, touched with humanity and realism. The movie takes place in Quebec and the spoken language is French. Therefore, I viewed the movie with sub-titles, which I like because I can follow the story more closely and still hear the language of the original production. Monsieur Lazhar is a special human being, who has suffered great personal tragedy and while seeking refuge in Canada, he takes up teaching a class of 11 year old children, recovering from the suicide of their former teacher. Therefore, while he is living with his own trauma, he comes face to face with the young people who are still grieving their own loss. The principal and some of the parents at the school do not believe teachers can become personally involved with the students or their problems. Sweep it under the rug and it will go away. On top of this, the school operates in a hands off setting where teachers cannot touch or hug students. Monsieur Lazhar feels totally constrained by the rules and the attitude that forbids more relaxed contact with the students. But he is a man with a heart who follows his own conscience and believes in talking out, not ignoring delicate, emotional issues. While this is going on, he has to appear before a refugee board examining his request for permanent residence in Canada. His responsibility towards the students allows him to focus on a crisis that is outside his personal misfortune. It is good therapy for him and the students benefit from his hands on approach. At the end, we sense that by being true to himself, M. Lazhar becomes a better person, not often an easy task considering the price he might have to pay.