Exhibiting the same sort of patience as his sensible hero, Philibert has created an extraordinarily humane portrait of a partnership between one adult and his very fortunate charges.
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09/25/03
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To Be and To Have (2003)
96
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Reviews Counted:56
Fresh:54
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: A small, sensitive, and moving portrait of a teacher and his students.
Theatrical Release:Sep 26, 2003 Limited
Box Office: $455,043
Synopsis: At a rural school in the Auvergne region of France, teacher Georges Lopez presides over a class of thirteen children, ages 4 to 11. Lopez teaches the different age groups separate lessons, making... [More]
Director: Nicolas Philibert
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Reviews for To Be and To Have
So superb, so graceful, so strong -- another beauty in this year of good documentaries -- that I do believe it will influence career choices, sending inspired viewers to study pedagogy, or cinematography.
09/24/03
Top CriticSimple but deeply touching.
09/19/03
To Be and to Have feels like a deep, sweet pull of spring water.
09/19/03
Top CriticOne of the year's most engaging films.
09/19/03
Fails to do justice to its potentially fascinating subject.
09/19/03
The film is as tiny as an Altoid and as curiously strong.
09/19/03
Top CriticOne of the most compelling documentaries of the year.
09/16/03
The magical dynamic we witness, of recitations and math problems and disciplinary chats and vocabulary drills, all of it performed with exacting sympathy and focus, is genuine to the touch.
09/16/03
Top CriticWarning: As you note the incredible rapport this teacher has in a one-room schoolhouse, you may well become enraged at the way our cities are cramming thousands of kids into each of our education factories.
09/04/03
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07/08/03
The director's patient approach pays real dividends, in the way he observes the kids ... at work and at play in such a beneficial environment.
06/10/03
The fly-on-the-wall method used to document rural French school life is a refreshing departure from the now more prevalent technique of the docu-makers being a visible part of their work.
05/13/03
Philibert and his crew remain invisible throughout most of the this film's running time letting a way of life that is surely short-lived speak for itself.
05/06/03
In a way, the film feels like a breath of fresh air, but only to those that allow it in.
01/31/03
At once a testament to the divine calling of education and a demonstration of the painstaking process of imparting knowledge.
01/18/03
Top CriticOne of those unassuming films that sneaks up on you and stays with you long after you have left the theatre.
01/17/03
A film that is a portrait of grace in an imperfect world.
01/17/03
Top CriticIt's a perfect show of respect to just one of those underrated professionals who deserve but rarely receive it.
10/29/02
As quiet, patient and tenacious as Mr. Lopez himself, who approaches his difficult, endless work with remarkable serenity and discipline.
10/24/02
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