Ahhhh, another one of those films I wasn’t quite sure if it would make my top ten or my Honorable Mention, but after watching it one more time there was no way I could not include it as one of the best of 2008. In terms of end of year awards In Bruges will likely be the number one snub. Of course, the Golden Globes have already nominated it for several awards, but that only comes as a result of them having a Comedy/Musical section, whereas they too would have given this great little film the shaft. Outside of the superb acting from all involved and the endless stream of quotable lines the one thing I noticed this fourth time around was just how beautiful this film looks and cinematographer Eigil Bryld deserves some serious recognition.
As 2008 wound down there were a handful of films I had not seen but wanted to make sure I saw before putting together a top ten list. One of those was the 2008 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner The Class. When asking for a screener I was denied, but the local publicists were willing to put together a last minute screening prior to the holiday break and I couldn’t have been more grateful.
The Class tells the story of one school year at a diverse French middle school and the ups and downs involving one class, its students and the faculty. The simplicity of the story could have allowed it to be another cute entry in the world of independent filmmaking or it could tap into that something special that elevates a simple film above the rest. The latter, obviously being the case in this instance, holds true as this film manages to take seemingly random everyday instances and pieces them together to make a fascinating patchwork of a human interest story.
I watched this film again over the holiday with my family. My sister thought it was boring. My mother said it was “interesting,” which is to say she too didn’t quite enjoy it. However, watching it again I continue to love every minute of its muted first half to its altogether rambunctious second half. Toward the end, as WALL•E has just been repaired by Eve and you begin to think he may not be the same little robot he once was, those recognizable “eyebrow” lifts begin and he lets out a questioning, “Eeeev-ah?” I was sold all over again. This is a great animated feature, but even more, it is a great movie.
