Customer Reviews
like it - By: , 07 Aug 2008 
Not much time to write this well, written & nice use of french & historical references ,characters believable if a little well mannered i really like it
A Must See - By: Ian Bates, 30 Jul 2008 Setin 1983 & featuring a rough & ready group of working class, gifted & quite charming teenage boys as they prepare for their Oxbridge entrance exams & interviews.
The dialogue is sharp, witty, poignant & there are some wonderful lines of poetry. I wasin stitches with laughter at times & quite touched at others.This is a film that operates at different levels; entertaining, funny, sad, serious & with quite a strong political & educational point being made.
It is one of those films which leaves you digesting what you have just seen for some time after, & then thinking of watching it again & probably again.
To use a cliche; It realy is a must see. An excellent film by any standards.
History boys, take a bow... - By: Eclectic Reader, 08 Jun 2008 
A friend told me about this film & I'm sure I would have enjoyed it less had I not known that it was previously a successful West End play. Written by the well known English poet & writer, Alan Bennett, it feels more like a play than a film - the characters are larger than life & the musical backdrop is a bit of a giveaway.
Setin Britainin the 80s/90s (judging by the music) the plot follows a group of state school boys who have qualified for admission interviews at Oxford & Cambridge Universities. The headmaster feels that despite the boys' obvious intelligence, they lack a certain `flair' against their public school competition. So he recruits a young Oxbridge graduate straight from teacher training school to polish the boys for the entrance exams & interviews.
In stark contrast to their existing teacher & mentor, Hector, (played by Richard Griffiths), this new teacher instructs themin the art of passing exams - paraphrased as: `the truth doesn't matter - as long as your answer is interesting'. This new style of teaching grates with Hector whose own lessons meander through acting out the antics of a Paris Brothelin French, reading poetry, & acting out modern film. Showing a total disregard for the syllabus or any other conventional teaching method, yet infusing the boys with a passion & interestin creative learning. Very Dead Poets Society.
Themesin the film include, the British class system, homosexuality, love, women's rights, coming of age angst, literature, & the passing on of wisdom - or as we call it the Education system. Hector: `Pass it on boys, pass it on'.
The cast of boys & teachers are great & play their characters with all the passion of the stage. If viewed solely as a film it could be seen as overacted but Bennett's clever script with constant subtext & sharp wit serve to remind us it's more than a film.
I can't believe I'm going to say this but I actually think it would be good to read as a play - not normally something that I'min to.
The director, Nicholas Hytner, must share the praise - taking a successful play & making it into a film (in 30 days) is a great achievement - of vision & leadership & art. Watch the DVD extras for an insight into the journey from play to film & back.
My rating of 4 stars takes account that it's not my preferred genre, but a good piece of art nevertheless.
For more Alan Bennett, read (or watch) `Ladyin a Van'.
Provoking but thoughtful - By: Mr. Michael Domnin, 28 May 2008 I do like the French lesson with the prostituée & the switch to "un hôpital en Belgique avec des soldats mutilés". Wry humour, homosexuality, it's all there to provoke us. The lesson from Hector is what we learn we should pass it on. When you watch this film, what will you learn about responsibilities, perverting children, butin the background & only hinted, the permissiveness of the head, the red tapes at Oxford. These last two points are just as malevolent as the blatant homosexuality of Hector.Because if his deviation is not to be condoned then the other flaws must be considered too.
What isin the background of this well-observed film? I was very moved by it. Our society is not only sick with sex & its deviation, but with many other things...
Fantastic - By: Anonymous, 26 Mar 2008 Marvellous film. I've just read Alan Bennett's book 'Untold Stories'. Perhaps that helped me understand the film, as I'm not very bright. There are better reviews than mine on this site but, for what it's worth, I thought this film was marvellous. Bennett is practical, clever, & has a sense of humour which, to me, is the most important thingin life. He can laugh at himself. It's these attributes which made him able to write such a good film. I wish him well.
