Monsieur Lazhar
Philippe Falardeau
The story: A teacher commits suicide in the classroom of an elementary school in Montreal. The replacement Bashir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag), who is from Algeria, tries to help the children cope with this terrible event. His students include the grave and wise Alice (Sophie Nelisse) and the mercurial Simon (Emilien Neron). Eventually, the painful reason for Bashir’s departure from his homeland is revealed.

What seems at first to be a story about 11-year-olds dealing with the grief and shock of a teacher’s suicide transmutes into a richer film about society and humanity.
In the aftermath of the death, the adults at school and at home treat the subject with kid gloves. They mean well but they seem to have little idea of the emotional lives of the children.
Bashir Lazhar, on the other hand, is prepared to engage with his students on the taboo subject of death. Chastised by the school for his pains, he slowly gains the trust and liking of his young charges.
Viewers receive little clues that there is more to him than he lets on. He claims to have been a teacher in Algeria but his knowledge of the classroom and teaching methods seem totally outdated. There is no doubt that his concern for the children is genuine but what secret is he keeping?
Writer-director Philippe Falardeau unfolds the film at a leisurely pace, with an assured control of tone so it never drags. Little moments of humour also lift what could have been a grim story.
The performances are excellent. Algerian Mohamed Fellag’s turn as Bashir is subtle and understated and, one imagines, far removed from the stand-up comedy he is apparently known for.
He is matched by the child performers, particularly Sophie Nelisse, whose character Alice is childlike and yet mature beyond her years.
As the story develops, Falardeau uses it to comment on various issues. For example, the relationship between teachers and their students is now so fraught that it is regulated to the point of being ridiculous. A teacher even remarks that working with kids is like working with radioactive waste – if you touch them, you get burnt.
Jibes at Bashir for not being Canadian reflect the uneasy relationship the society has with its immigrants. While Bashir makes a connection with the children, there is no grand “Oh captain, my captain” gesture like in Dead Poets Society (1989). Instead, there is a hug between a teacher and a student at the end that is both moving and bittersweet.
Monsieur Lazhar is not a neat and tidy movie with all its themes tied prettily with a bow. It is a compelling character study and a portrait of life that does not sugarcoat sometimes ugly truths. Along with a clear-eyed dose of honesty, it also offers hope and the healing balm of human connection.
(ST)