I am a teacher and I work in a classroom every day. I find the portrayal of class dynamics in this movie very unrealistic. It may make for a good movie and provokes the thought, but it is exaggerated. Maybe it is designed in such a way for a shock effect. However, real people, students or teachers, don't behave this way, in any neighborhood.On one hand, we have the students, who are bursting with vile, anger, frustration, and who are downright mean to the teacher, basically all the time. I don't think a class exists on this planet where the students behave in such an extreme way all the time, in every class. Of course, everything that we see in this movie has happened, and likely happens many times, in many countries, in many neighborhoods. However, the amount of it that happens in this movie, in one hour, in every lecture, is not realistic. In a real setting, the teacher would simply not be able to take it. Nobody can take such constant interruptions, the constant lewd comments, the downright hostility to the teacher, even physical threats, and stay composed and serious and positive like the teacher in this movie. At some point, the teacher calls the students "skunks". This is after the two students that sat on the committee (and acted inappropriately the entire time, by interrupting, making noise, etc) totally told the rest of the class about these presumably private discussions among the faculty members. Yet, the students are never reprimanded for this. How is this not in itself seen as a serious infraction, when clearly faculty discussions are confidential when evaluating students, comparing them to each other, and discussing whether someone should be expelled?Even worse, the two students lied to Suleyman, claiming that the teacher tried to diss him at the meeting, when in reality, he tried saving him (and other teachers tried to expel him). It makes no sense.. why are the two students so mean, so insensitive, that they even lie to their own classmate about what the teacher actually said or tried to do.Teacher's reaction makes no sense either. Every real teacher would point out to the private nature of the conversations at the meeting. Every real teacher, when sensed that Suleyman is being misled by his peers, would point out that he tried saving him. But not this teacher. Even more strangely, the one word "skunk" that this teacher uttered (and even that one in a mild context), is taken by the students as some crown proof of teacher abuse -- after they themselves have been 100x more abusive. And it even flies with the other teachers, with the headmaster, and they get our teacher into trouble. Sorry.. real schools, real people don't work and behave in this way.On the other hand, we have the nearly perfect assembly of teachers, who are somehow able to take all of this constant abuse and still act perfectly reasonable. They are having their perfect conversations, like a group of perfect academics, about what to do with the students. I don't think real people, real teachers behave like that. In such a hostile environment, real teachers either quit, or become jaded, or they stop caring. But they don't take such enormous amounts of abuse in daily, and still continue with such perfect dialogs, analysis, and intentions. So for me, both the students and teachers in this movie are mis-represented. The students are too evil, and the teachers are too perfect.

Not something I watched recently, but something I referenced quite recently. The audience I watched it at the Angelika when it was on limited release a few years previously was, like most Angelika crowds, very much on board with the paths the movie took, and perfect company to enjoy this kind of flick with.Supposedly based on a true story, this is one of those movies that asks more questions than it answers, where the characters are so real they're almost scary (what will you do when you are in class with a few of them asking the same questions they do in François' class - how does one react when one sees too much o themselves in them - so much reality crammed into one class), and might just about put those people off that come into a movie hall seeking escapist entertainment. Life, smack in the face! As always with movies of this genre, it's timely, topical, and gritty to the point of being extremely uncomfortable.Another thing that sets this one apart from the rest o its ilk - we do Not get to know François (the teacher). It's all about the children in François' class, and their questioning of authority while trying to get a rise from the teacher, who is continuously striving to just do his job - teach. Gradually though, it becomes a game of oneupmanship between each character involved throughout, using their strengths and the others' weakness to play off one another. Think 'Half Nelson' (albeit en Français).

Laurent Cantet's absorbing film, 'The Class', tells an apparently true tale of the life in the year of a French schoolteacher. It's a portrait of an incredibly dedicated and imaginative man, working to engage with a mostly first or second generation immigrant class whose members are not bad children but who fundamentally have, in many cases, little idea of why they are in school in the first place. Teacher and script-writer François Bégaudeau plays the lead role; the self-portrait is flattering, but not overly so, the story of his efforts to cross the cultural chasm are fascinating and convincing, and the fruits of his labours real yet frustratingly small. One to watch if you've ever been tempted to utter the old cliché that "those who can't, teach".

In watching The Class I was struck by its intelligence. The direction taken upon social and cultural issues within dialogue broke the figurative forth wall allowing individual interpretation and enhancement of character development. You can immerse yourself in the classroom through The Class' documentary style cinematography travelling around and between Francois and his students. This intimacy and contextualisation of The Class resulted in a rewarding experience.Based upon Francois Begaudeau's semi-autobiographical of the same name, Begaudeau himself plays the lead role as an inner city teacher dealing with troublesome kids. Begaudeau portraying himself in an episode of his life made the narrative more appealing for me as The Class had a strong sense of realism. Though Begaudeau didn't simply stand in front of the camera to make his presence known. He emoted the hopes and frustrations of a teacher attempting to provide for students. His acting abilities were equally matched by those playing the students, not one faulted in conveying their personalities and problems.In dealing with these issues at hand the actors were helped by an exceptional script. Large portions of The Class is set within Francois' classroom debating social and cultural issues, from the use of language to a generation's moral standards. All issues were debated with openness allowing audiences to be a part of the discussion thus interpreting your own take which for me felt satisfying.The Class highly deserved multiple awards it later received from Palme d'Or to the Cesar Award as its' a noteworthy, refreshing film for those seeking cinematic sophistication.