SummaryDirector Mike Akel provides a rare and realistic teacher's perspective into the absurd, provocative and occasionally volatile world of public education. (SomedaySoon Productions)
SummaryDirector Mike Akel provides a rare and realistic teacher's perspective into the absurd, provocative and occasionally volatile world of public education. (SomedaySoon Productions)
Chalk is loaded with life, energy, truth and respect. It may just make you yearn for your high schooling days. Okay, maybe not, but Chalk will have you laughing long after the movie has ended. How's that for homework?
The movie opens with the dismal statistic that most teachers quit after three years. Akel and Mass see the humor in the situation, but the laughs are small and sad.
Unlike high school movies made for the teen market, Chalk gets many of its laughs from the backstage wrangling among the teachers as they unload their stress on one another.
More a series of loose-limbed vignettes than a sculpted narrative, Chalk lacks a compelling dramatic drive. But the cast creates a fine, improvisatory interplay, captured with verite-style camerawork, and the unforced humor and insights go a long way.