WasAnnon Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Tymon Sutton The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

paul2001sw-1 'Monsiuer Lazhar' tells a carefully constructed story: and Algerian refugee in Canada, with his own private sorrows, talks himself into a job as a teacher, replacing a predecessor who has hanged herself. It's a quiet, thoughtful work, which asks searching questions yet without ever seeming didactic: it's main point, perhaps, is that dealing with grief is something which cannot be addressed by our contemporary culture of best practice, but that it requires an individual, non-procedural response. At times one might wish for a little more intensity; but the film's unforced nature is also its strength. Mohammed Fellag gives a strong and sympathetic performance in the lead role.

eyeintrees Sometimes a movie need not have lots of noise and colour to make it a gem. Sometimes all it needs is a compelling story, something very important to say, a very good script and magnificent actors.Monsieur Lazhar has something important to say and it says it exceptionally well. With a subtle delicacy and actors who truly understand the importance of nuance and body language and how to appear completely real, this deceptively simple story is given power and meaning that will tug at your thoughts for some time.Particularly important, the young actors here were just sensational, all of them, otherwise this would never have been able to work in the way that it did. Just a brilliant body of work from young and old. And it does it quietly, so that you barely realise.

CinemaClown Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Monsieur Lazhar is an elegantly crafted, patiently narrated & wonderfully performed cinema that brings on screen a bittersweet story of love, loss & grief shared between a teacher & his students. And while it may look like a cinema about teacher-pupil bonding, Monsieur Lazhar is much more than that.Set in Montreal, Monsieur Lazhar follows Bachir Lazhar; an Algerian immigrant who is hired to replace an elementary school teacher after she commits suicide in her classroom. While the cultural gap at first creates a barrier between the two, Lazhar is eventually able to earn the respect of his students while they recover from their recent loss but in the process, his own dark past is revealed.Directed by Philippe Falardeau, Monsieur Lazhar is told with great sensitivity & is beautifully composed from start to finish. The film does capture Lazhar's relationship with his students & faculty but what makes it such an endearing experience is the evident difference in two cultures, his struggle in adapting to school's educational reforms, the discussions he has with his pupils about tender issues & his own tragic loss.Cinematography makes brilliant use of the cold colour palette, the ambiance of a classroom is authentically captured, camera movements are very relaxed, Editing makes sure almost every scene contributes to the story in one way or another plus the whole picture is steadily paced, use of background score is minimal but effective whenever it makes its presence felt and the performance by every cast member is impressive.On an overall scale, Monsieur Lazhar is an heartwarming & heartbreaking cinema that offers a rare glimpse at the roles teachers are asked to play not only by the school system but the students' parents as well, and has a thing or two to say about the lies we tell our children. Boosted by great all-round performances, deepened by its rich cinematography yet feeling slightly incomplete by its lack of detail, Monsieur Lazhar is a work of surprising boldness & maturity that comes thoroughly recommended.

FilmCriticLalitRao Canadian director Philippe Falardeau's film "Monsieur Lazhar" has not only proved to be a huge box office success but also managed to elicit favorable reviews from film critics.All this positive response has helped to create an advantageous environment for his film.In the wake of such a fabulous success,it is somewhat difficult for an independent observer to express a dissenting opinion.However,popularity of a work of art is not the only real indicator of its true worth.It is in this sense that film critic Lalit Rao viewed this film during 5th Bangalore International Film Festival 2012. As a popular film with a compassionate message,Monsieur Lazhar suffers from various glaring inaccuracies which recur throughout the film.Most of them are related to the appointment and firing from the job of the film's protagonist.Hence,it can be said that the entire film can fall flat on its face if this error is noticed by many viewers.The portrayal of a school teacher and his work environment is also highly predictable and leaves a lot to be desired. However,as a last remark,it can be said that it is through a tremendous acting performance by Algerian actor Fellag that "Monsieur Lazhar" is able to overcome its weaknesses.