As the husband of a public school teacher I am able to see the state of the modern education system through the eyes of someone on the front line. This might create a quick connection to The Class which follows the interactions of a high school teacher and his students, but whether the ivy-covered inspiration of Dead Poets Society, the hazy hallways of Dazed and Confused, or the fetching sarcasm of Mean Girls, deeper truths have always been made palatable by a setting we can all identify with - the classroom.
 
Using pieces of his own life as a teacher, Francois Begaudeau adapts his novel and stars in this docu-fiction which opens in the calm atmospheric waters of empty school desks and slowly boils to the point of breaking. In his third year of teaching at an inner city school Francois still believes in the power education. When his students begin to rebel and his theories are tested from every direction, lines begin to be crossed. And that is what this film truly is about: lines. The line between authority and dictatorship. Between self-sacrifice and misery. The line between dreams, hopes,  and what is the true reality of the situation.
 
The classroom might not seem like the ideal place to shine a light on   these lines. Especially weaving in hands off issues like immigration and government control. But director Laurent Cantent makes sure not to halt the story to beat you over the head. In fact these devices are used to help further the plot and reveal characters' emotional strands buried beneath.
 
If the nomination for this film in the Best Foreign Language category of the Academy Awards rests on one attribute it is the sensational acting. Each student in Francois' classroom could not have been cast better. The film's sense of realism does not come from the hand held camera work but from how each actor embodied their character.
 
It needs to be said in advance that this film is subtitled. Also, the language used can be harsh and the story uncomfortable at times. But pushing past these barriers will leave you not only with more compassion for public school teachers but might also leave you evaluating the lines in your life. I give The Class 5 out of 5 school yard soccer balls. You will leave the theater feeling you have been in Francois' classroom - for better or for worse.