The First Grader
(Rialto)
This is a feel-good drama that recreates the story of an octogenarian Mau Mau veteran who achieves brief world fame by praising the powers of education.
Partly lame, and afflicted by many years of incarceration under British rule in Kenya, Maruge (Oliver Litondo) demands a primary school education so he can learn to read and write. His attendance is resisted by parents and others in his remote village. But the children love him for his Mandela-like qualities.
Although the outcome is never in doubt, the film avoids the usual clichés with the naturalistic acting of the leads, notably British actress Naomie Harris as head teacher Jane Obinchu. The location filming in Kenya is stunning and the children, cast from the village where the film was made, are infectious in their enthusiasm for learning and their ability to cope with the adversity of their surroundings.
The gratuitous scenes of colonial torture of the Mau Mau, depicted here as freedom fighters, are out of place when scenes outside the classroom are full of stereotyped goodies and baddies more associated with films aimed at younger audiences.
For mature audiences (violence and offensive language), 103 minutes.
— Nevil Gibson