Monsieur Lazhar
- Genre: Drama/Comedy
- Director: Philippe Falardeau
- Stars: Fellag, Sophie Nelisse
- Rate: *** 1/2
Philippe Falardeau’s Oscar-nominated drama about an Algerian immigrant (Fellag) who unexpectedly takes over a Montreal elementary school class is smoothly directed and beautifully acted: the rapport between this unlikely educator and his charges is natural and unaffected. But the script, adapted from a play by Evelyne de la Cheneliere, is a little too on-the-nose, resulting in a film that’s at once completely accomplished and kind of an open-and-shut case.
