8FFLFOE
N MOVIEREVIEWS
MONSIEUR LAZHAR ---
(Guild) “Monsieur Lazhar� is a sensitive and fairly subtle work, with the deceptive simplicity of a well-honed short story. “Monsieur Lazhar� takes an interest in both its titular hero, an Algerian immigrant who comes to teach a sixth-grade class, and his emotionally troubled students.After students discover their teacher’s body hanging in their classroom, Mr. Lazhar walks into the school and volunteers his services, explaining he taught in Algiers for 19 years. He turns out to be just what the students need, and perhaps the job is just what he needs. The director gently depicts the searching love-hate relationship between the suicide’s witnesses : class clown Simon, given to aggressive acting out, and Alice, who quickly takes a shine to the school’s sole male classroom instructor. The keen leading performances never hit a false note, but Simon gets the showpiece when he at last experiences an emotional breakthrough about his late teacher. “Monsieur Lazhar� at times recalls more striking teacher movies, like “The Class� and “Dead Poets Society,� but it’s a small gem of its own, meeting its kids on their level and celebrating a teacher
who cares about their present and future. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, a disturbing image and brief language. One hour, 34 minutes. — P.C.
CHIMPANZEE --
(Centur y 16, Centur y 20 ) This new G-rated Disneynature documentary may prove a “gateway drug� of sorts to get young kids interested in nature and sciencethemed documentaries, and on that level, its stylistic crimes are probably excusable. Like most docs of its ilk, “Chimpanzee� allows information to take a back seat to manufac tured drama, ruthlessly construc ted to maximize shor t attention spans. The film captures impressive fly-on-the-tree footage of a baby chimp in his formative years. “Oscar� begins in the company of mother “Isha� but (spoiler alert) when a Disney-style parental tragedy separates the two, Oscar bonds with alpha male “Freddy� in what the film breathlessly brands “an astonishing turn of events.� The narration, read by Tim Allen, would love to turn “Chimpanzee� into “The Lion King,� and it’s full of anthropomorphisms about “our boy Oscar.� Sometimes the commentary is downright puzzling. Following a climactic battle, Allen intones, “Teamwork has beaten brute force� (what movie is he watching?). Decide for yourself if the narration is a necessary concession for kids: It’s a take-it-or-leave-it proposition that doesn’t make but also doesn’t quite break “Chimpanzee.� Rated
,ET THE &UN "EGIN
G. One hour, 18 minutes — P.C.
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS --
(Centur y 16, Centur y 20 ) As written by Drew Goddard (“Cloverfield�) and Joss Whedon (“The Avengers�), “Cabin� is a next-generation “Scream,� a self-referential horror film that tongue-in-cheekily deconstructs its own genre. On that level, it’s a hoot. If this film isn’t quite as much fun or as scary as “Scream,� it is more audacious, and that creative energy is the chief selling point. With the help of crack cinematographer Peter Deming of “Scream,� Goddard directs this ambitious sci-fi /horror hybrid with authority, and the duo orchestrate some potent visual jokes as well. One involves a background slaying that’s ignored by foreground characters (a trope we also saw in “Scream�); another hilariously spoofs J-horror (Japanese horror films like “The Ring�). Horror cinema has a tendency to indict the audience, and drawing attention to that is not a new idea, but “Cabin� presents a fresh narrative twist, and forces the audience to wonder if they should root for the slain or the slayers. Rated R for horror violence and gore, language, drug use and sexuality/nudity. One hour, 35 minutes. — P.C.
N MOVIECRITICS S.T.- Susan Tavernetti, P.C. Peter Canavese, T.H.-Tyler Hanley
Summer Fun 2012 at PACCC Palo Alto Community Child Care The Best in Child Care Begins With Us
>ÂŽiĂŠ iĂœĂŠ Ă€Âˆi˜`ĂƒĂŠUĂŠ Ă?ÂŤÂ?ÂœĂ€iĂŠ iĂœĂŠ*Â?>ViĂƒ
Ă€i>ĂŒiĂŠ iĂœĂŠ >ĂƒĂŒiĂ€ÂŤÂˆiViĂƒ
SIX CAMP OPTIONS - June 11 to August 3 Each offering exciting themes and activities! Kindergarten to Grade 6 Activities Include:
Swimming - Bike Rides - Field Trips - Organized Activities
Camp details at www.paccc.com
WIN A ANING for a Deserving E L C E S U O H Mother! Do you know a mother who lives in the Mountain View, Los Altos or Palo Alto area who could beneďŹ t from having her house cleaned by professionals? Whether it’s a busy younger mom with children and not a lot of time, or an older mom who still works and takes care of her family but is not as mobile as she once was, tell us about the person you think should receive this award. Send your entry with contact information to custsrv4150@merrymaids.net, subject “Merry Maid Momâ€? by April 30th and your nominee could win four weeks of free cleanings by Merry Maids of Mountain View. The winner will be contacted on May 14th and named in the May 18th edition of the Mountain View Voice!
Math Tutoring Experts. enro todayl!l
Mathnasium of Mountain View - Los Altos 7 %L #AMINO 2EAL 3TE s -OUNTAIN 6IEW #! -!4( mountainviewlosaltos@mathnasium.com www.mathnasium.com/mountainviewlosaltos + TH '2!$%3 s (/-%7/2+ (%,0 s 35--%2 02/'2!-3 April 27, 2012 â– Mountain View Voice â– MountainViewOnline.com â–
29