Monsieur Lazhar

Monsieur Lazhar was suggested by my friend chikenfem and affixed to the envelope was that pink sticky note. With such recommendations, my expectations for this movie were pretty high. After watching the movie, I wasn't sure how I should rate it. For some movies, I don't realize the greatness of the movie right away. Some movies are like a fine wine. The more you have the greater it is. Monsieur Lazhar is a somber movie dealing about a difficult topic-- death. It was well written and well acted. The child actors gave powerful performances in response to the tragedy and the title character relates to them because of his own personal circumstances.

I think my appreciation for this film is slow coming because it is not a happy go lucky movie. It does not end well. It does not leave the audience with a sense of joy, but rather you get a feeling of contemplation. This is quite an anti-Hollywood film. In fact, it's French Canadian. In general, I think non-American films experiment with darker subjects easier. Life isn't always about walks in the park or rainbow kisses. I think this film does a great job on reflecting on tragedy and how as individuals we deal with the emotions that come along with the painful events.

This is a great movie. I'm always on the lookout for good French language films and this is a must see.