School Life (2019) User Reviews

A feel-good movie taking place in a forgotten suburb left to itself

[FrenchEddieFelson · 7/10 · 30 August 2019]

End of June 2019, I saw this excellent film at a French premiere in the presence of the director Mehdi Idir and a few actors such as Liam Pierron and Moussa Mansaly, within UGC Parly, right next to Versailles, in the suburbs of Paris. Liam Pierron told us how he happened by chance to the rehearsals, accompanying a friend who was selected. No muss, no fuss ... he is at the top of the poster!

Second film directed by the duo Grand Corps Malade + Mehdi Idir, La vie scolaire (2019) is truly excellent: entertaining, truculent, deliberately caricatural, delicate, subtle, ... The co-directors give us an empathetic and tender look on a forgotten suburb. Moreover, Zita Hanrot and Liam Pierron are both awesome. Actually, the whole cast was skillfully elaborated in order to obtain a tiptop chemistry, with awesome supporting roles such as Farid (a hilarious teen suffering from mythomania), Dylan (a wacky monitor despite an inadequate IQ), a sports teacher with unorthodox activities, ...

As a synthesis: an excellent achievement. For sure, I will see their third movie, no matter what! 7/8 of 10

Interesting movie

[claire1345 · 8/10 · 16 April 2020]

It looks somehow realistic not caricatural. I gave it 8 because while the dialogue reflects quite accurately the real-life in poor Paris suburbs, it is difficult for non-French citizens to understand and relate to the characters.

That life in the school!

[fersiaf · 6/10 · 12 April 2020]

A typical portrait of how school looks like. I just can't relate too well since I am from Asia and students here are very much different. It also got me thinking is this the real situation in the suburban schools of France? I've seen also a lot of American Movies but I don't see misbehavior close to what is shown in this movie. Well, I guess, maybe this is just how liberated students in France are. Are they really?

Well, as a teacher, the movie is on point on how we really come up to decisions when it's all about giving sanctions to students. It always looks like we are having a board meeting.

Honestly, I didn't like the ending. It got me thinking, for real? the boy just stood up for himself and then tell everyone in the room about what he is and what he is not, and then ended up just like that the next school year? It leaves me hanging as to what has been the decision of the school as regards what the boy said? Did they just let it slip it off and then move on? Well, sadly, sometimes it is just what the school does.

Its good but bad ending

[supersami-08427 · 6/10 · 24 November 2020]

The ending is not that good because it Shows the school next school year

Authentic school life with good actors

[CY_Movie · 7/10 · 2 April 2023]

I'm generally a fan of series and movies that take place in schools or universities, probably because I belong to that age group myself. I have to say that I couldn't enjoy the movie flawlessly because I watched it spread over 3 days, but I am still very convinced by it.

The school life of these ghetto kids is brought across very realistically. Even if the dialogues are somewhat exaggerated due to the above-average use of Arabic words, the individual students and their behavior are very real. Everyone knows classmates who would behave like one or the other character in the film. The same goes for the teachers, who all have different characters.

I love movies that don't necessarily have a clear storyline, but just give the viewer the feeling of being there. We dive into the world of a socially deprived area and learn more and more about the backgrounds of the students and teachers. Of course, there is a lot of social criticism, but basically we as viewers just watch how school life develops in this French school.

However, the Characters come me partly a little too short because there are just too many and not all could be worked out very well. Furthermore, I miss the relationships between the individual students, unfortunately, we get almost only insights into the private lives of individual students whereby this class community vibe is lost. Towards the end it develops into a drama of a single student which I found a bit disappointing but still exciting and partly also emotional.

A sometimes difficult to watch but very powerful look at high school in a poor Parisian suburb

[richard-1787 · 9/10 · 27 December 2020]

I found this movie gripping from beginning to end. It creates a series of clearly developed and delineated characters who all attend or teach in a high school in one of the poor suburbs of Paris. The teachers, most of them, try to help the kids connect with their schooling in some way, though that isn't always easy. Some of the students are bright and could succeed, but have a lot of extra-curricular hurdles that keep getting in their way. Others just aren't meant for school.

These various threads are woven together by first-rate actors and directing, such that they never leave you looking at your watch. These become real people for you, and you want them - most of them, at any rate - to be able to succeed.

No one here is perfect. (You probably aren't either, if you really take a good look at yourself.) Still, most not just want something more out of life, but are willing to do something to earn it. You want them to succeed.

Not a great movie, but you will not be bored.

[timotheemasurel · 5/10 · 11 November 2019]

A movie about the difficult life in French suburbs' schools. Some nice jokes, but not a "great" feel-good movie, and the story is not always very factual... However an interesting story and quite good actors.

Trés bien!

[rebeckaflygare · 10/10 · 18 April 2020]

This little movie about, quote, "a ghetto school in a ghetto" is amazing. The acting and dialouge is low key and true in a way that gives a documentary feeling. I was truly touched, and this movie will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

French Social Issues

[qui_j · 3/10 · 11 April 2020]

This is a film about a school in a poor suburb of Paris. The humor, dialog and script is centered around issues that would only be understood in France so the film really has limited appeal. It really doesn't hold interest as it plays more like a low-budget docudrama.

Fantastic .Very funny .Really great movie .Wonderful Casting!

[reda-stimpy · 10/10 · 11 April 2020]

Superb, hilarious, educative, fun to watch. The Best Drama Comedy, you can watch in 2019 .

Very funny and great casting

[krishin-39661 · 9/10 · 13 April 2020]

Brilliant script that genuinely made me laugh out loud many times. The ending was a rushed but also that seemed to be on purpose too - detailing the reality of a school kids situation in Saint-Denis.

such a feel good movie

[lokis-18932 · 10/10 · 9 April 2022]

Laughed out loud many times, performances were organic (specially the kids), it felt like really being inside a school. It was overall a well made and enjoyable movie with a good message.

Give it a go.

Good but could have been done a different way

[bjornsr-03440 · 8/10 · 21 December 2020]

Good movie, and an inspirational one. But something that needs either more series in the story or a sequel. Just within these 2 hours it's hard to really develop into the characters lives aside from the main 2 and we are left with so much uncertainty and questions regarding many characters and what their future lies. Transitions are also very quick without us getting to know what exactly followed up or how the events proceeded. But tremendous feel good/emotional movie especially if you are into high school ones about struggle in different parts of the world.