La Vie scolaire

I found this movie gripping from beginning to end. It creates a series of clearly developed and delineated characters who all attend or teach in a high school in one of the poor suburbs of Paris. The teachers, most of them, try to help the kids connect with their schooling in some way, though that isn't always easy. Some of the students are bright and could succeed, but have a lot of extra-curricular hurdles that keep getting in their way. Others just aren't meant for school.

These various threads are woven together by first-rate actors and directing, such that they never leave you looking at your watch. These become real people for you, and you want them - most of them, at any rate - to be able to succeed.

No one here is perfect. (You probably aren't either, if you really take a good look at yourself.) Still, most not just want something more out of life, but are willing to do something to earn it. You want them to succeed.

Good movie, and an inspirational one. But something that needs either more series in the story or a sequel. Just within these 2 hours it's hard to really develop into the characters lives aside from the main 2 and we are left with so much uncertainty and questions regarding many characters and what their future lies. Transitions are also very quick without us getting to know what exactly followed up or how the events proceeded. But tremendous feel good/emotional movie especially if you are into high school ones about struggle in different parts of the world.

End of June 2019, I saw this excellent film at a French premiere in the presence of the director Mehdi Idir and a few actors such as Liam Pierron and Moussa Mansaly, within UGC Parly, right next to Versailles, in the suburbs of Paris. Liam Pierron told us how he happened by chance to the rehearsals, accompanying a friend who was selected. No muss, no fuss ... he is at the top of the poster!

Second film directed by the duo Grand Corps Malade + Mehdi Idir, La Vie scolaire (2019) is truly excellent: entertaining, truculent, deliberately caricatural, delicate, subtle, ... The co-directors give us an empathetic and tender look on a forgotten suburb. Moreover, Zita Hanrot and Liam Pierron are both awesome. Actually, the whole cast was skillfully elaborated in order to obtain a tiptop chemistry, with awesome supporting roles such as Farid (a hilarious teen suffering from mythomania), Dylan (a wacky monitor despite an inadequate IQ), a sports teacher with unorthodox activities, ...

As a synthesis: an excellent achievement. For sure, I will see their third movie, no matter what! 7/8 of 10

This little movie about, quote, "a ghetto school in a ghetto" is amazing. The acting and dialouge is low key and true in a way that gives a documentary feeling. I was truly touched, and this movie will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

It looks somehow realistic not caricatural. I gave it 8 because while the dialogue reflects quite accurately the real-life in poor Paris suburbs, it is difficult for non-French citizens to understand and relate to the characters.