Radical (12A)
Directed by Christopher Zalla

 
 
THE power of education — and that one engaging teacher who is determined to inspire his or her students to achieve greatness by unlocking their potential by whatever means necessary — is at the heart of this compelling and captivating Mexican drama. 
 
Co-written and directed by Christopher Zalla, Radical is based on an article Joshua Davis wrote in October 2013’s Wired Magazine about real-life schoolteacher Sergio Juarez Correa (Eugenio Derbez, Coda) and his star pupil, maths genius Paloma Noyola Bueno (impressive relative newcomer Jennifer Trejo, Saw IX) who is hailed as the next Steve Jobs. 
 
Set in 2011 in Matamoros, Mexico, but shot in San Salvador Atenco, the film is seen through the eyes of the schoolchildren whose minds are blown by their maverick new teacher who uses unorthodox teaching methods to awaken their curiosity, let them experience the joy of discovery and to give them hope.
 
Among the students is Paloma, who secretly aspires to be an aerospace engineer but but must care for her ailing father who collects waste to sell from the rubbish dump next to their home; Lupe (Mia Fernanda Solis in her first ever film role), a many-layered character, who is a philosopher in the making but also forced to raise her younger siblings while her mother returns to work; and smart-mouthed Nico (Danilo Guardiola), another composite character, who is in love with Paloma and heading for a life of crime.  
 
These impoverished children have no future attending Jose Urbina Lopez, the worst primary school in the region dubbed “un lugar de castigo,” a place of punishment. Corruption is rife and the sounds of gunshots and sight of dead bodies on the streets is commonplace. 
 
You are swept away by Sergio’s enthusiasm to help these kids and share both his frustration when the authorities try to thwart him, and the heartbreak when he fails some of them. 
 
Derbez is mesmerising as he delivers the performance of his career alongside a stunning young cast who light up the screen with their nuanced performances. 
 
This is the Hispanic working-class version of Dead Poets Society, and Derbez is on a par  with Robin Williams. You will laugh and cry, and scream at the injustice, but the takeaway is how vital teachers are in moulding and nurturing young minds. The world needs more like Sergio Juarez Correa.