A Simple Appeal To The Heart: Kindness Can Be A Good Thing

Rating: 8/10 (7 March 2013)

So many professional reviews of this film grudgingly admit they were moved by it, as if it's a sin to dislike a well-made movie that moves one emotionally, as if it is always a bad thing to appeal to the better emotions, to the heart instead of the head. "The real index of civilization," said novelist De Berniere,"is when people are kinder than they need to be." In an age of abrasive political commentators who have forgotten about compromise and genuine understanding, it's a joy to encounter a film about kindness and concern, a film where a firm but concerned teacher makes a selfless difference in many lives. That's what this charming and occasionally upsetting film is about, as French legend Gerard Jugnot portrays a man who brings music and discipline to a group of underprivileged students. Yes, it's an old story, and yes, it still works.