Movies in which kids play a big part don’t always have to be kids movies and this movie isn’t one. It’s set in a grade school in Canada. The movie opens with a boy doing his task of getting the milk for the class during the break. While he is doing that he makes a terrible discovery as his teacher has hung herself. A shock goes through the school and it’s a difficult time for everyone. They have to look for a replacement and a man volunteers for the job, Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag).
He gets the job, but he himself has a secret he doesn’t want to talk about. He’s an Algerian immigrant who works quite differently compared to the old teacher and the kids in the class aren’t afraid to tell him that.
Monsieur Lahzar is a movie that’s all about emotions, kids dealing with someone they have looked up to taking her own life. Not only that, but bullying also happens. It’s up to their new teacher to find out what is going on in the lives of the kids while dealing with his own difficult situation.
Thanks to the great acting of the children this is a very believable movie. You see them struggling with the weight they are carrying and as a viewer you can’t help to feel for them. This is the first movie I’ve seen Mohamed Fellag in, but he manages to make his character a sympathetic one. Monsieur Lahzar can be a difficult movie to watch, but is worth seeing.
A good film for sure. Saw it at our art house cinema.
I haven’t heard of this one. I’ll keep an eye for it and hopefully be able to catch it in theatres.