No hagas olas

Watched this on an airplane but should have spent the time reading my book. M. Civil turns in as good a performance as can be expected, but the overall film is seriously lacking in dramatic impact and emotional engagement. Kinda surprising, given its the true story of one of its directors. Blah disguised as social commentary. Actually the kids display more emotion - probably because they're kids and kids are often quite cruel. I don't quite understand why that's true but I know their antisocial behavior is not unique to French culture - perhaps even more so in America. I just wish this film didn't have the French New Wave anti-climatic ending. Blah and blah again.

I didn't like the way the story was constructed throughout the film. It had potential, but it was wasted. It would end without an ending and without a conclusion and it would need to have one. In my opinion, it's not worth going to the cinema. I saw it at the Varilux French Film Festival in São Paulo, Brazil. The performances were good, but the characters ended up being clichés. During the film we felt indignation at the protagonist being so foolish and naive, making us want to scream at him not to be such an idiot. The highlight was the children, who represented well the evil, anguish and guilt that can torment everyone at this age, especially the poorest and most vulnerable children.

As French man we used to watching movie like this in france especially in sector of school and this movie it's pretty much good and enough chilling anyway thanks to a lot of points !

The script it's very nice even if I expected better about the end of movie but in all the movie it's great, several times I was chilling in front several scenes and I felt sorry for some of the characters on some situations, it's very a movie when they gonna telling story that you remember not long time but it is so emotional a lot, not a masterpiece but a good story that happened by a real guy unfortunately cause it's based on a true story !!! It's crazy but it's happen

First to all the acting are so nice, the main character play by Francois Civil was great and the French actor that I appreciate a lot played his role very well and this kind of performance for me to winning an César (Alternative of an Oscar in France) cause play a role like this that he got to give several different deep emotion it's not easy to play, it's not beautiful performance ever neither but it's very good performance!!!

And the rest of cast like others teachers, students... play very well too especially character of " Leslie " she played very great !!!

The directing was well, not very good or great cause I think he could do better to telling the story even if it was not bad, not at all but he could makes better about a lot of shoots to explain and telling a specifically moment of movie, disappointing a bit ...

Not big soundtracks too bad but lights playing very well !!!

Although I was never a teacher, part of some of my jobs in social services was to be a Personal Effectiveness tutor. I know how difficult young people can be. I left social work nearly twenty five years ago and things are different now. A few years before I switched careers, upon leaving a job I'd liked, the project manager and staff arranged a leaving do at one of the local pubs. The sixteen to eighteen year old kids were invited. Do that now and all the adults would be sacked and disbarred. Even socialising with the youth outside of arranged school or training events is discouraged. So when Julien took a bunch of favoured kids out for burgers it was very ill advised. Picking on Leslie as part of a poem was not too clever either.

However, Julien was clearly innocent of the accusations which snowballed because of family reactions, school politics and jealous colleagues. Every one of these players made things worse until Julien was openly undermined by fellow staff.

We saw the effects the baseless slurs had on his personal life too in his friendships as well as his relationship with gorgeous Walid.

Based on a true story as it was, I was disappointed not to see a conclusion. Nonetheless we can extrapolate. The original teacher switched careers into the film industry. That's a pretty sad hint.

The film leaves one wondering how many other lives have been ruined by spiteful and untrue accusations, especially these days when the complainant is meant to be believed credulously. I admire those in teaching and youth services but I'm so glad I'm out of that field. The film took me back with its sterling performances. I do recommend it.

Do you remember an André Cayatte's film from 1967, starring Jacques Brel, as a school teacher accused of molesting - or raping - a little girl? Probably not. Anyway, it's not necessary to have watched the two films; the period is not the same but the plot yes. It is in the line of what happens today from time to time in schools. Good acting and realistic situations. It evokes modern issues. Good French drama which main strength is to remain factual, without any message to deliver. At least that's the way I saw it. François Civil is really a rising star who seems to be able to play any kind of role.