Joshua Reviews Philippe Falardeau’s Monsieur Lazhar [SXSW 2012]

As   a child, very few people have quite the impact on one during his or her youth as their teacher.   So what goes through the mind of a child when his teacher decides to take his or her own life? That is at the very core of what may be one of the best Canadian films to hit theaters in years, the Oscar-nominee and SXSW selection, Monsieur Lazhar.

Canada’s selection for this past year’s Best Foreign Language Oscar and the seemingly trendy pick for the award going in, the much beloved film has finally hit Austin showing only one time during the festival. However, expect to be seeing a lot more about this film as it nears its theatrical release, as it’s one of the most emotionally effecting and poignant films you’ll see this year.

The film follows the story of Bachir Lazhar, an Algerian refugee who after fleeing his homeland after death threats on the life of both he and his activist wife, takes up a teaching gig in Montreal.   However, this isn’t a normal gig, as the previous teacher took her own life by hanging herself in the very classroom where she once taught and Lazhar now teaches.

While the performances here are absolutely breathtaking, so is the filmmaking.   Directed by Philippe Falardeau, who also wrote the film’s script, the film feels both narratively and aesthetically like a Canadian version of Ingmar Bergman, sans the overt spirituality.   Both Lazhar and his students are attempting to deal with the sudden palpability of life and death, and with a fly-on-the-wall style camera that is neither intrusive nor alienating, the film is utterly visceral. An intimate narrative, the film never overstays its welcome, and clocking in at right around 90 minutes, the film is both aggressively emotional and yet equally insightful about the emotional maturity of the young.   A film that never panders to its young characters, each have their moments of lashing out, and yet prove that we truly do not give enough credit to this young upcoming generation.

The performances here are equally great. Mohamed Fellag plays Lazhar here, and is the star of this show.   He imbues this character with such a sense of compassion and truth that makes Bachir one of the most affecting characters we’ve seen in a long time.  Both fatherly and yet distant, the character has his skeletons, and yet tries his absolute best to lead these students down the path of recovery. Both Sophie Nelisse and Emilien Neron are brilliant here, giving some of the most mature performances from a young cast member in a very long time.   Not since Max Records in Where The Wild Things Are have we gotten a performance proving that while they are young in age, kids are just as able to deal with heavy issues as adults, and here we have a pair proving just that fact.   Toss in a fantastic score, evocative cinematography and a script that is bewilderingly enthralling, and you have one of the best films of the past 12 months.

Overall, this is as much a must see film as anything that found itself nominated for Best Picture even.   A moving and intimate, Bergman-esque look into the experience we all have with death, not as a personal issue but as an existential crisis, Lazhar is as moving as it is funny. As well made as it is well acted.   It’s simply a brilliant piece of filmmaking.