Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

FilmCriticLalitRao 'To be and to have' is one of the most interesting documentary films about education made in recent times. It presents a novel look at the educational system especially through its intimate portrayal of a small school run by a single teacher. Before directing "Etre et Avoir", Nicolas Philibert had made several interesting documentary films. This film is absolutely unique as it does not focus solely on the small school in question as it extends its scope beyond four walls of the school. One can see what the students do when they are with their families. It is with great amazement, one sees how almost everything related to education is depicted through the personal involvement of Monsieur Georges Lopez. As a teacher, he is respected by all as apart from learning from him, they are free to receive advice from him on their personal problems. In many ways, watching Mr.Georges Lopez teach, one is reminded of the changes which need to be brought about in modern education systems which have more drawbacks but fewer advantages. This is a perfect film to be shown at all schools where French language is taught.

Tim Marshall I was either the age of thirteen or fourteen when I first watched Être et Avoir in my high school French class. Present day I am twenty-two years old and for some unknown reason, today I had memories of this film.miraculously, my search for a French school film where at some point, I believe this may be in the additional extras of the making of the film, the students where not so happy about being filming in the shower, being embarrassed which is what I remember this for because where sub titles where not available, she would tell us and she laughed at their reactions telling us.The compassion you see in this film makes it all worthwhile, you learn so much yet I avoid to explain without spoiling any information for people reading my experience wanting to watch this film.

museumofdave Wouldn't it be nice if instead of jamming the multiplexes to see mindless idiocy of most blockbuster movies, over-hyped reflections of our need to be constantly entertained, citizens could spend a few hours watching how children learn, getting to know what a quieter existence away from television might be like, getting a sense of community from a simple school room in France? Of course it would be nice if we all had free dental care, too, and a nutritious dinner fixed for us every night. But to the film: To Be and To Have is an amazing year's document inside a French classroom, where one patient teacher gives attention to the students who need it, teaches persistence and patience and co-operation, and does so without "no child left behind" gimmickry. He leaves no child behind, and if you take the time to immerse yourself in this slow, rewarding film, there are children you will meet and never forget. This film is quietly entertaining, highly educational, and reflects a kind of intelligent model for a civilized world.

R. Ignacio Litardo I found this film simply irritating. I can't think why it should be "required viewing" like some reviewers claim. Maybe for those who are into teaching, who absolutely LOVE kids and for those who do rural sociology (I must be forgetting some other trade). But for most of us, it only shows how difficult it must be to teach VERY young kids. And how vital that role is. As Kim Anehall puts so well in Amazon: "To Be and to Have offers some true insights on the job as teachers should be regarded as everyday heroes in the last line of defense in a developing society".I think that the director Philibert never "scrapes below the surface" of the teaching process itself, leaving us instead with plain empiria. And the "lessons" seems staked, like if Mr. Lopez would like to prove how good he is at teaching, and as a person. But, as a reviewer notes, the camera shows very clearly when the kids have learnt their lesson, and when they don't (which is most of the times).The stark contrast of the "conditons of life" in France compared to any underdeveloped country is painful. The teacher drives a big Audi (!), the schools themselves are nice and lofty, and they all have all the necessary equipment. The kind of things people take for granted on the developed world. I'd love to have this system back in my country, Argentina. Specifically, in the "conurbano bonaerense", where teachers aren't paid for months, pupils go to school basically to have a meal their parents can't afford back home, and violence is the rule of the game.I laughed with one American reviewer when he said that probably JoJo would be medicated in the US... If you want to know about different methods of education you could always watch for instance Kiarostami's "Where Is the Friend's Home?" to learn how the other half of the world lives.The cinematography is very nice.I agree with another Amazon reviewer Matt Curtin (Columbus, OH USA) on the Lopez'saga of suits: "That he would later claim that he was due some additional compensation that was never part of the deal reminds me of his interaction with young JoJo (...) even our greatest teachers are still ultimately human, complete with their own weaknesses. Perhaps the final lesson is that even disappointment is a part of life".Same goes for the great Manohla Dargis on the LA Times: "Apparently, the French are not so very different, after all".