A Montreal middle school is rocked by the in-class suicide of one of their teachers. Offering his services as a substitute is Bachir, an immigrant escaping his own turmoils in Algeria, who perhaps takes an overly abrupt approach in helping his new students heal from their shock and grief. "Monsieur Lazhar" is an excellent school drama, Canada's submission for Best Foreign Film in 2012, which is seemingly stripped of all the cliches and expectations you would have for a film of this nature. Mohammed Fellag is superb in the title role.
