After the collapse of his marriage, teacher Laurent Monier (Gérard Depardieu) takes a job in a suburban school outside of Paris where he confronts one of its most troubled classes. Life is miserable for our leading character; the film begins with a hilarious scene where he accidentally reveals to his wife and family that he’s been unfaithful, and his new job even lands him in danger. Depardieu is terrific, adding a lot of energy to a teacher who refuses to give up but in no way is a saint. The script addresses problems in the banlieues, including violence and cultural clashes; the serious ingredients are somewhat offset by Monier’s amusingly bumbling life.
1996-France. 105 min. Color. Produced by Jean-Louis Livi. Written and directed by Gérard Lauzier. Cast: Gérard Depardieu (Laurent Monier), Michèle Laroque (Helene Monier), Souad Amidou (Radhia), Ticky Holgado, Guy Marchand, Daniel Prévost.
Trivia: Original title: Le plus beau métier du monde.
