Editing and Cinematography Excellence

Rating: 7/10 (30 October 2014)

Very well shot, edited, acted and designed; with a fresh take on old ideas. The movie may have a very specific focus and be nothing earth-shattering on the intellectual side, but it's worth several Oscar nominations. The music is fantastic. See it on the big screen.
As for the controversy around the abusive teacher, I would say that it's not necessary to feel that the teacher is justified or unjustified, good or evil, effective or hindering, in order to enjoy the movie and find interesting food for thought in it. If a semi-vicious teacher who, in the real world, would overstep the bounds of ethics and even effective technique, is a flaw in the movie, then it's not a damning one.