Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Zita Hanrot, Liam Pierron, Soufiane Guerrab, Moussa Mansaly, Alban Ivanov, Antoine Reinartz
Intro:
…a boundary-pushing dramatic comedy…
In French comedy-drama School Life, teachers aren’t so much educators as they are role models. It is a film that believes there is no such thing as bad students; just ineffective systems to educate them.
Helmed by directors Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade (aka Fabien Marsaud), School Life explores the lack of opportunity afforded to the marginalised; in particular, the inequality faced by people of colour. The film was a massive hit in France (where films exploring the education system and class/race are a tradition – take note, Australian filmmakers) and was snapped up by a streamer for every territory apart from Australia and New Zealand.
The arrival of a new vice-principal, the tough-yet-conscientious Miss Samia Zibra (an impressive Zita Hanrot), at a Parisian ‘low-life’ public school, also comes with a bold vision to improve not just the lives of students, but also the communities in which they live.
It is with a dark (and intentionally inappropriate) sense of humour where the film calls out the education sector for what it is: broken.
The eccentric group of teachers Zibra manages, many of whom possess the same juvenile attitudes as the teenagers they teach, skirt by doing the minimum. Their shallow hopes for the school year centre on the avoidance of teaching the ‘dunce’ students; most of these students come from diverse backgrounds and troubled households.
Enter Messaous (Soufiane Guerrab), a maths teacher as adept in supporting his students as he is in disarming them with witty retorts should they act up. His relationship – overseen by Zibra’s considerate stare – with deep-down-good-kid Yanis (Liam Pierron) clearly illustrates the importance of having an education system tailored to the needs of the students, and not one reverse engineered to the masses. In Yanis, the film finds its heart – contrasting his sense of disillusionment in the system with his kind demeanour, imbuing the film with a burning sense of optimism.
At a time where the contribution of teachers is looked at with deep admiration due to the global pandemic, School Life reinforces the positive impact an inclusive and supportive education system can make whilst succeeding to be a boundary-pushing dramatic comedy at the same time.
