Review of To Sir, with Love (1967) by Bob V — 11 Oct 2010

Poitier plays a man who becomes a teacher at a disreputable British school for lack of finding the engineer job he really wants. His students are cockney trash and trashier, but through uncionventional methods and patience, he manages to reach them and change their lives for ever.

I know, right? Sounds trite and been done a million times, both good and bad (cf Dangerous Minds, Dead Poets Society, Music of the Heart, hell, even Sister Act 2). The big difference here is that this was 1966, and it hadn't been done a million times yet. The story finds a fine balance between sentimental melodrama and gritty realism, without ever quite veering too far off in either direction. In doing so, the more sentimental scenes gain extra poignancy, wringing some genuine pangs of emotion out of this viewer (the thing with the wreath, sheesh, it shouldn't be so touching, it shouldn't, but still).

Unlike other Poitier movies, such as Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, race is not the predominant source of conflict, though the issue is still clearly felt throughout the movie. I rather approved of handling it that way, and not letting it be solely about pitting Poitier against the white establishment once again.

Fine acting as always from the Denzel of his generation, supported nicely by a very young Judy Geeson, and (back then) teenage pop sensation Lulu, who would soon go on to win Eurosong (okay, she tied with like 4 other performers) and is possibly best known nowadays for playing herself as Edina Monsoon's dissatisfied client on AbFab. Oh, and do try to spot a much younger (suh) Patricia Routledge, aka Hyacinth 'Bouqueeeeeet' Bucket, playing a member of the faculty.