A teacher comes to a school, gets the toughest class, has a hard time but manages to work miracles: sounds familiar? It's almost a genre. The whole movie lies on Gerard, of course, who is good as usual. The relationships in the movie are all very good- between Gerard and the teacher with the son, with his neighbor, the girl next door and with the head and vice principals. But ironicly, the weak part is with his class. I didn't see what he did that made a change in them or their world or way of thinking.
The best scenes, which save the movie from total numbness is the beginning, the whole wife-her mother-Happy Birthday tape, the shoe fiasco and little subtle -so French- things in the movie (like his scarf). Slight Spoiler: Towards the end he almost completely loses his mind, which is explainable, but it makes the end only more unbelievable and well, not French.
I give it a 6.
The best scenes, which save the movie from total numbness is the beginning, the whole wife-her mother-Happy Birthday tape, the shoe fiasco and little subtle -so French- things in the movie (like his scarf). Slight Spoiler: Towards the end he almost completely loses his mind, which is explainable, but it makes the end only more unbelievable and well, not French.
I give it a 6.