Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageIt All Starts Today (1999)
Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
A war movie that happens to take place in a nursery school in northern France, this is wrenching, unpatronising social conscience cinema. Daniel (Torreton) is the embattled headteacher, fighting to do the best by his kids in a former mining community - a job that's tantamount to social work. Daniel's convictions are fiercely and unapologetically socialist, and Tavernier plunges us into the life of the school without pause. Using the documentary-style Steadicam technique of his policier L.627, Tavernier conveys the stimulation, the inspiration, and the frustration of teaching, as well as the limitless demands it makes on the teacher's compassion. Torreton is intense and dynamic, persuading us of Daniel's anger at a post-socialist political agenda and a quieter, poetic sensibility. It's Ken Loach territory, and like Loach, not beyond melodrama - Daniel's crisis of faith is linked to the fate of an alcoholic mother and an abused child - but also like Loach, too salutary to be fobbed off with condescension. Some critics have found the ending over-optimistic, but after the many troubled parental relationships in Tavernier's films, from The Watchmaker of Saint-Paul, through 'Round Midnight to These Foolish Things, this precious affirmation is surely merited.Author: TCh
Cast & crew
Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Producer: Alain Sarde, Frédéric Bourboulon
Cast: Philippe Torreton, Maria Pitarresi, Nadia Kaci, Véronique Ataly, Nathalie Bécue, Emmanuelle Bercot, Françoise Bette, Christine Citti, Christina Crevillen full cast
Duration: 118 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
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’
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