A great story. True. But not serviced well here. An extremely complex story boiled down to a hollywoodized version of bad guys vs good guys, fuzzy elements of the past in flashback at pivotal points of the slow moving story, bad guys and good guys delineated so clearly they might have been wearing sandwich boards on their backs, several elements of the story leading nowhere, transformation of characters sudden and without development. And - oh yes graphic torture scenes unsuitable for children.And let's not forget the classic breakthrough boardroom scene with astounded and receptive officials who never call security when the intruder appears like a crazed lunatic to Bring. About. Change.Good acting, lovely singing but not enough to carry the clichés.6/10

Watched this on DVD. I spent most of my life in Africa (so far) and loved the sweeping shots of rural Kenya and the enthusiasm of the Kenyan children and of course Maruge. It's a feel good movie that lost its way. The person I would most like to see it – my son - will be denied the opportunity because I feel that the torture scenes are too extreme. I realise that the Mau Mau uprising resulted in terrible recrimination in Kenya (especially for the Kikuyus) and should not be glossed over. But feel that the producers of The First Grader have missed a great opportunity to really inspire the primary schoolchildren on the world – that you should only stop learning "until you have soil in your ears!"

This film is about a 84-year-old man who insists on attending primary school, when the Kenyan government announces that there is free education for all."The First Grader" is about an elderly man who wants to be educated. His action provokes debate within the viewer, as we have to decide on how to interpret the Kenyan government's promise, ethical issues, effective allocation of public resources and opportunity costs. This topic is already very interesting and intellectually stimulating. There is also a subplot about the dark colonial history of Kenya, which probably aims to enhance the viewers' connection with the protagonist. However, I find the subplot ineffective without more detailed background history of Kenya, and more development on this subplot. Despite the shortcoming, "The First Grader" is still a touching and inspiring tale.

I just saw this movie yesterday, and I felt that it was so well made, so touching, so inspiring, and so important. It is a rare kind of movie that teaches you history, shows you other people's struggles, and moves you emotionally because it captures the strength of the human spirit.This movie is important because it shows that it is possible to overcome adversity and makes you believe that it is never too late to attain those things that are valuable to you. It also really brings into focus the power and importance of education.I'm really glad that I saw this movie, and I hope that many other people will go see it as well.