‘The Class’

No disrespect meant to those films that get released in January and February, but for most moviegoers these months are rightfully devoted to catching up with the successes of the previous year. One of the best, and one of the easiest to forget about, is “The Class.” Yes, its topic of a year in a Parisian middle school class doesn’t sound gripping. But the reality of this classroom is so intense that it holds our interest even while the film’s dramatic focus is building quietly under the surface. Then, when you least expect it, the drama is there. Things turn deadly serious and we see how fragile the opportunity for learning is, and how inflexible a system can be when things threaten to spiral out of control.

-- Kenneth Turan