Monsieur Lazhar (2012)
Average Rating: 8.2/10
Reviews Counted: 112
Fresh: 109 | Rotten: 3
Monsieur Lahzar is a tender and thoughtful portrait of a man with hidden grief and also a compelling exploration of the teacher-student dynamic.
Average Rating: 8.4/10
Critic Reviews: 35
Fresh: 33 | Rotten: 2
Monsieur Lahzar is a tender and thoughtful portrait of a man with hidden grief and also a compelling exploration of the teacher-student dynamic.
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Average Rating: 4.1/5
User Ratings: 24,624
Movie Info
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
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Cast
-
Mohamed Fellag
Bachir Lazhar -
Sophie Nelisse
Alice -
Emilien Neron
Simon -
Danielle Proulx
Mrs. Vaillancourt -
Brigitte Poupart
Claire -
Louis Champagne
Janitor -
Jules Philip
Gaston -
Francine Ruel
Mrs. Dumas -
Sophie Sanscartier
Audree -
Seddik Benslimane
Abdelmalek -
Marie-Ève Beauregard
Marie-Frédérique -
Louis-David Leblanc
Boris -
Millard Vincent
Victor -
Andre Robitaille
Commissioner -
Daniel Gadouas
Me Gilbert Danis -
Stéphane Demers
Marie-Frédérique's Fath... -
Evelyne De La Cheneliere
Alice's Mother -
Marie Charlebois
Prosecutor -
Nico Lagarde
Psychologist
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All Critics (112) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (109) | Rotten (3) | DVD (2)
Although it raises timeless questions about life and loss, and timely ones about mentorship and multiculturalism, "Monsieur Lazhar" would rather teach than preach.
Top CriticA gentle film can still be searing in its effect on an audience, something that "Monsieur Lazhar" proves emphatically.
With a few folds, this story could have made a script for John Barrymore, like Topaze, or for Chaplin.
You could almost describe 'Monsieur Lazhar' as a morality tale, but it's more thought-provoking than debate-provoking.
A sad, reflective study of the possibilities, and the impossibilities, inherent in the teacher-student relationship.
"Monsieur Lazhar" is good. Really good.
Guaranteed to have you reaching for the Kleenex.
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.
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.
Philippe Falardeau's direction is a model of the notion that less is more, and this film is a treat well worth savoring.
This is cinema at its most impactful.
By the time you realise how invested you are in this tale it is too late: Monsieur Lazhar has you. I consider myself a cinematic Chuck Norris, but this film had me blubbering like a baby.
While "Monsieur Lazhar" is a decent film, I wish it would have done more to stand out from other similar films.
The film understands the complex bond between teachers and students, and how the classroom is a sacred space they share for a short time before moving on.
Thankfully, the impressive cast of child actors actually behave like children, not like miniature adults.
Monsieur Lazhar is a film to cherish.
Monsieur Lazhar never pretends to be anything but a grown-up fable, and it's a captivating one.
Phillipe Falardeau, who adapted the play into a screenplay, can't entirely paper over a few niggling loose ends, but overall this disturbing film is very effective indeed.
Lazhar is something of a puzzle, and much of the pleasure of Philippe Falardeau's film lies in the gradual unfolding of his reserved yet impulsive personality.
Very few films offer a moral grandeur, as well as a political foundation; very few films have such poised and brilliant performances from unknown actors.
Monsieur Lazhar is a film that focuses on humanity when at its most vulnerable, with the film itself a warm embrace that will evoke tears of joy.
Beautifully performed by all the actors, not least the youngsters
The fact that both teacher and students are in need of protection adds greatly to the poignancy and Falardeau delivers an emotionally rich film filled with nuance, grace and subtlety
Under Falardeau's inconspicuous lens, life plays out with rare authenticity; not just its tragedies, but its triumphs, its mishaps and its incidental interludes
In Monsieur Lazhar, education can prevail over its literal restrictions. Teachers may make mistakes, but the good ones emphasize independence and intelligence. And interpretation. They serve inquisitiveness, not inquisition.
Falardeau's adaptation of fellow Québécois Evelyne de la Chenelière's play honours the power of the written word (a motif reinforced throughout the film), and expands on its stage origins via remarkably-assured cinematic touches.
Audience Reviews for Monsieur Lazhar
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Super Reviewer
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- Alice: Everyone thinks we're traumatized. It's the adults who are.
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Movie: ID: 771253439 Title: Monsieur Lazhar Release Date: 2012-04-13 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 3 Status: 1
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Foreign Titles
- Monsieur Lazhar (DE)
- Profesor Lazhar (ES)
A gentle film with an edge, Monsieur Lazhar features strong performances by Mohamed Fellag and his young class. There are many scenes that seem aimless until they're considered in the scope of the larger story.
As a whole, the film is part of the teacher-as-hero genre, and while its anti-intellectualism is confined to the premise that a man with no training can succeed, Monsieur Lazhar is a nurturing love educator, thrown into an emotionally charged classroom with grief-demons of his own. Its thesis -- that there are times when educators are called on to be caring parental figures -- is ludicrous in reality, but I found it effective because of Fellag's soulful performance.
I think the conflict is never fully resolved, which is a common complaint I have with French-language films. I think Lazhar should have had to expose his damage; these kids' emotional lives are on display for Lazhar, and it seemed logical that Lazhar would have to do likewise. The fable bit was an attempt, but the writing on this fable didn't go far enough.
Overall, this is a strong film in a problematic genre.