Monsieur Lazhar

Composite Score: 82.47

Starring: Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Émilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Marie-Ève Beauregard, Vincent Millard, Seddik Bensilmane, Louis-David Leblanc, and Sophie Sanscartier

Director: Philippe Falardeau

Writer: Philippe Falardeau

Genres: Comedy, Drama, School

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material, a disturbing image, and brief language

Box Office: $9.07 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                Monsieur Lazhar is a French-Canadian film based on Evelyne de la Chenelière’s play Bashir Lazhar, which tells the story of an Algerian refugee who comes to Montreal and takes over as the teacher of a middle school class that has just lost their teacher. It features Mohamed Fellag in the titular role, supported by a cast of young actors who do a great job exploring the many ways that people grieve, particularly young people. The film works well as a study on grief and on the nature of schooling and the role of educators in the lives of their students. It is a beautiful and tragic film that will leave its audience moved by the performers and the story that they tell.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                For anyone impacted by suicide and/or school violence, this film contains a lot of content that could be potentially triggering. Though I believe that it is a film designed to help people and society engage with such events and create a more positive discourse around them, some of the scenes and images in the film can be quite jarring for people who have experienced similar circumstances. If that is you, I would encourage you to do a bit of research into what this film contains before watching it.

                A good portion of this film’s story revolves around a refugee lying about his credentials in order to get a job as a teacher, which lends itself to the audience rooting against certain protections in the school system. That being said, it is important to remember that, as a work of fiction, Monsieur Lazhar does not present something that is an overwhelming norm, nor should it encourage its viewers to try and buck many of the protections that have been added to our education systems over the past decades. Teachers should still have to be credentialed and not allowed to hit students, in fact, limits on physical contact protect both the teachers and the students. At the same time, a slight disregard for the rules helps make this film what it is, so there’s that too.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                Despite its fictional contrivances, Monsieur Lazhar portrays a very real look at what it’s like on the job as a teacher. From interactions with students to classroom management to curriculum struggles to faculty interactions to parent-teacher conferences, this film has it all and frames it all in a way that feels truly authentic – as a former teacher, I found it to be very true to life. Bachir’s struggles to connect with his students in ways that are allowed and help them work through their grief showcase the best of what teaching can be. The way that the film explores students’ need to be known in order to learn and grow is beautiful, showcasing the individuality of multiple students in the class, not just the two “main” ones. From the little things, like helping a student who has little food to eat, to the big things, like allowing students to digress from the topic at hand to process their collective grief, Bachir Lazhar handles his students and classroom in ways that some certified teachers can still only dream of. In this way, the film presents an almost aspirational and idealized version of teaching and the education system that leaves its audience wishing for their own “Monsieur Lazhar” and frustrated with school systems that so often discourage individual thought and/or connection between teachers and their students.

                In addition to its authentically crafted teaching narrative, Monsieur Lazhar features a few commendable acting performances. Obviously, Mohamed Fellag’s leading role is amazingly done. He brings so much emotional complexity to this role as the fill-in teacher and carries much of the film’s emotional and relational weight on his more-than-capable shoulders. He is joined in this endeavor by two skilled child actors as well. Èmilien Néron plays Simon, the student who found their teacher dead in the classroom. His performance as a troubled youth who struggles with anger and connecting with his classmates and adults resonates with a deep authenticity. Though his performance is at times a bit childish, it remains true to the character throughout, feeling like a real student for the entirety of the film. The true standout of the young stars, though, is Sophie Nélisse as Alice, Bachir’s favorite student who also witnessed their former teacher’s body and is very open about the ways that she is trying to cope with her grief. Her performance, though deeply tragic, also brings an authenticity and charm to this young preteen coping with the loss of a beloved teacher. Her anger, sadness, love, and passion are put on full display in a performance that goes well beyond the actress’s youth (at the time). Together, these three make the film what it is.

                Monsieur Lazhar is a triumph of emotional storytelling, combining an authentic look at life on a school’s campus with a deeply touching story of grieving in a narrative that is carried by its three lead actors, making it one of the Greatest Films of All Time. Though its sensitive subject matter and fictional bucking of some important school rules might keep it off of some people’s watchlists, this is a film worth watching that will leave you deeply moved after the credits roll. It is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video; check it out when you have time.