Review of The Class (2008) by Henrietta S — 01 Oct 2009

I need some sort of relaxation treatment after The Class; maybe a glass of French wine at the very least. I think it reminded me of days teaching ESL to junior high and high school students. I thought this was probably the most realistic "teacher/tough school" flick I've seen; most seem to collapse here and there into schmaltzy "hero-teacherness", or everybody is happy in the end.

There is a tension, imperfection and relentlessness in this film about the classroom that seems more true. The use of language as a centerpiece to understanding and misunderstanding binds the story like a stickiness from which you're trying to free yourself.

The stickiness is a complexity that would just be easier to run from. This film says look and listen.