#!ENTRE LES MURS*{

I just saw it, Entre Les Murs, and I really enjoyed it as did most of the audience from what I could see by looking at their response. I definitely can see why it won the Palme D'Or at Cannes early this year. I like how different it is from last year's winner 4 Luni, 3 Saptamâni Si 2 Zile, but then again, maybe it isn't that much. Both films really focus on a certain issue which at the period of time that the film is situated in is very much alive. Where 4 Luni dealt with abortion in Romania of the '80s, Entre Les Murs deals with contemporary issues of France by looking at it from the perspective of the youth. Presenting a class of 14, 15 year olds and the everyday tension between these kids and their teacher, Entre Les Murs really centres on this particular moment in time. A class of kids from different nationalities, a class of kids who seem bored, not at all interested in school, Entre Les Murs shows issues which are going on today not only in this class but at a much larger scale. It provied a nice example of today's youth, the way they act to their teacher, to each other. It really succeeds in giving a realistic view of today's youth and what goes on inside the classroom. If this film was made in Hollywood you probably would have had this story of a teacher who would change his class and would have made a difference with all of the kids eventually arriving on the right side of life, overcoming all of the issues. A film a la Dangerous Minds which starts with a class of no good, but ends up with the kids really looking up to their teacher and all of them doing better. Entre Les Murs takes a complete different path and even its teacher doesn't always know what to do and you can even question if how he acts is correct or not. I thought this was one of the most wonderful aspects, that instead of showing this picture perfect teacher, he also has flaws and struggles in finding the right approach for addressing these kids and he too makes mistakes. Entre Les Murs shows issues which exists in society at large, but showing that these already are existent in an everyday class room filled with kids of different backgrounds. At one point one of the kids speaks of how during the African cup some of the African people don't have any team to support when they don't qualify, which has one of those kids saying that he actually does has a team to support, the French team, 'cause he insists, he is French, though his parents might have a different background. Entre Les Murs really manages to kind of let the bigger issues seep through unnoticed, without putting too much emphasis on them. But through everyday issues that a class deals with issues at large come to be addressed. I really enjoyed it. It's very thought provoking and leaves you with enough content to discuss. Go check it out if you can!