Ça commence aujourd'hui (1999)

English title: It All Starts Today.
Synopsis: This film tells the typical everyday problems faced by a kindergarten teacher in an economically troubled town in France; it also has some subplots relating to his private life.
Appraisal: This film's dramatic merits are not abundant; it tries to be all over the place, diluting considerably its strength. That being said, it is not devoid of interest. It is instructive, in a sort of encyclopedic way, about the problems that affect some economically depleted regions in France. I don't think it tells lies; probably all that goes on in the film is based on reality. But it is hard to see it as detached and objective; beginning with its title, stating that the future 'starts today', therefore the children of today are the men of tomorrow, there is a clear catechetical agenda in the movie; it also comes with a distinct ideological coloring: for example, an unbelievable amount of children has Anglo-Saxon names, and one of the characters notices that fact in amazement; thus, the film seems to imply that American films and TV are responsible for the problems afflicting these French families, which, according to it, range from alcoholism to child abuse. It is quite professionally done; the acting is on a satisfactory level, and the staging of the school scenes is convincing enough.
Rating: 46