François and his fellow teachers prepare for a new year at a high school in a tough neighbourhood. Armed with the best intentions, they brace themselves to not let discouragement stop them from trying to give the best education to their students. Cultures and attitudes often clash in the classroom, a microcosm of contemporary France. As amusing and inspiring as the teenage students can be, their difficult behaviour can still jeopardise any teacher's enthusiasm for the low-paying job. François insists on an atmosphere of respect and diligence. Neither stuffy nor severe, his extravagant frankness often takes the students by surprise. But his classroom ethics are put to the test when his students begin to challenge his methods...
Special Agent Matti
For most of this movie I thought that I was watching a documentary. It was only when director Laurent Cantet started putting "dramatic" shots into the scenes that I realised that The class (Entre les murs) is a work of fiction, but only slightly: the film is based on a book written by François Bégaudeau about his time as a French teacher in a multicultural high school (sound familiar?) and the trials and tribulations of contemporary education theory.
Clearly, it sucks to be a teacher at the beginning of the new millennium. Without corporal punishment and burdened by a touchy-feely bureaucracy (not to mention poor parenting) the modern educationalist has almost no authority in the classroom. To make matters worse, kids today know that adults are idiots and are making things up as they go along; they certainly aren't worth respecting just because they're old. The next time you go to a parent-teacher evening you'll be taking a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit because these teachers need all the sympathy they can get.
If you want to find out what your kids are up to in class, watch The class (Entre les murs). Yes, your kids are JUST LIKE THIS.
The drama, education, France movie The class (Entre les murs) is directed by Laurent Cantet and stars François Bégaudeau, Nassim Amrabt, Laura Baquela.
M (Coarse language)
127 minutes (2:07 hours)
Film: 22 January 2009
