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Monsieur Lazhar [Sub: Eng]
In Montreal, an elementary school teacher dies abruptly. Having learned of the incident in the newspaper, Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag), a 55-year-old Algerian immigrant, goes to the school to offer his services as a substitute teacher. Quickly hired to replace the deceased, he finds himself in an establishment in crisis, while going through his own personal tragedy. The cultural gap between Bachir and his class is made immediately apparent when he gives them a dictation exercise that is beyond their reach. Little by little, Bachir learns to better know this group of shaken but endearing kids, among whom are Alice and Simon, two charismatic pupils particularly affected by their teacher's death. While the class goes through the healing process, nobody in the school is aware of Bachir's painful past; nor do they suspect that he is at risk of being deported at any moment.
3 October 1963, Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, Quebec, Canada
1966, Montréal, Québec, Canada
April 21, 2013
Falardeau had the good fortune to work with a powerfully effective ensemble cast, and Martin Léon's minimalist ambient score helps set the mood for a satisfying story about the healing effect brief encounters can have on emotional scars.November 22, 2012
This is cinema at its most impactful.January 07, 2013
Philippe Falardeau's direction is a model of the notion that less is more, and this film is a treat well worth savoring.September 18, 2017
lowly enveloping you in its pace, this is a film you never want to end.January 15, 2013
While it may not stand out from similar movies, Monsieur Lazhar is a sweet film with a simple story and remains engaging thanks in large part to Mohamed Fellag's charming performance.May 01, 2012
You could almost describe 'Monsieur Lazhar' as a morality tale, but it's more thought-provoking than debate-provoking.June 02, 2013
Guaranteed to have you reaching for the Kleenex.June 01, 2012
Although it raises timeless questions about life and loss, and timely ones about mentorship and multiculturalism, "Monsieur Lazhar" would rather teach than preach.April 27, 2012
A sad, reflective study of the possibilities, and the impossibilities, inherent in the teacher-student relationship.April 27, 2012
"Monsieur Lazhar" is good. Really good.May 11, 2012
With a few folds, this story could have made a script for John Barrymore, like Topaze, or for Chaplin.May 24, 2012
A gentle film can still be searing in its effect on an audience, something that "Monsieur Lazhar" proves emphatically.