Etre et avoir (2002)
Director: Nicolas Philibert
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
This wonderful film by acclaimed French documentarist Philibert charts half a year in the life of Georges Lopez and the infant and junior pupils he teaches at a tiny single-class school in the Auvergne. That may not sound so rewarding, but in following the fortunes of this small group as they face their trials and tribulations, Philibert attains an extraordinary intimacy with his subjects, creating a multi-layered movie that sheds light on numerous aspects of human experience. In Jojo and the smallest kids, we see minds develop at breathtaking speed; with older pupils Julien and Olivier, a grasp of ethics is starting to come into play, while shy Natalie is a reminder of how painful the onset of a teenage sensibility can be. Then there are the families, having children help out on the farm even as they ask them to solve maths equations they themselves barely understand. Georges Lopez is a reminder that the personal touch is essential but too often lacking in education. He's rather like a pastor, shrink, guru and uncle all rolled into one. A witty, hugely moving study of dedication, intelligence and downright goodness leaving the desired mark, this gem covers all this and more. It's one of the very finest films you're likely to see in a long time. Just beautiful.Author: GA
Cast & crew
Director: Nicolas Philibert
Producer: Gilles Sandoz
Cast: Georges Lopez, the children Alizé, Axel, Guillaume, Jessie, Johan Jojo, Johann, Julien, Laura, Létitia, Marie-Elizabeth, Nathalie, Olivier, Franck, Kevin, Jérôme, Magali, Laura, Léa, Océane, Thomas, Valentin, and the families Chanimbaud, Dujardin, Garrido, Jeune, Lacombe, Olléon, Ponte, Rochès, Thouvenin of Puy-de-Dôme full cast
Rated: U
Duration: 104 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Hippies who work for The Man
To celebrate George Clooney comedy 'The Men who Stare at Goats', we look back at six memorable onscreen hippies who fought the system from within
Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies
Ahead of the release of '2012', Roland Emmerich offers his ten tips on creating the perfect global catastrophe
Grant Heslov: interview
Grant Heslov, director of 'The Men who Stare at Goats' talks about his old pal George Clooney, his interest in the paranormal, and his fond memories of working on 'Happy Days'
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?
Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer
Michael Jackson's This Is It: review
Kenny Ortega's posthumous concert film is a rousing eulogy for one of pop's great enigmas
Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace
From Cannes to Munich to London, Dave Calhoun tours Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'
Lone Scherfig talks 'An Education'
Danish director Lone Scherfig was an unlikely choice for a very English affair like 'An Education'. Cath Clarke meets her
How Jane Campion brought John Keats back to life
Time Out gets Romantic with the ‘difficult’ New Zealander about her new film, 'Bright Star'
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations












What do you think?
Post your review now