The true story of an 84 year-old Kenyan villager and ex Mau Mau freedom fighter who fights for his right to go to school for the first time to get the education he could never afford.
The First Grader pulls few punches in terms of its negative portrayal of British colonialism, but swathes its politics in bland, feel-good emotion that waters down its criticism.
When you go to the movies it shouldn’t feel like there’ll be a test afterwards.
An amazing tru-life story that's Hollywoodised within an inch of its life. A missed opportunity for something really special.
The subject matter is thought-provoking and inspiring and the performances from young and old alike are A-grade.
The First Grader is a film that appeals and involves even during its stodgiest moments.
Feels like a good movie to show teens at school; it’s educational and inspiring, but dramatically plodding.
Despite committed performances and striking photography, this earnest and well- meaning – but ultimately tepid – real-life story should find its proper home on Sunday night telly soon enough.
A true story from Kenya has unfortunately become a slightly hackneyed and insipid feelgood movie.
Some films are made for all the right reasons and still cause you to grind your teeth.
Rudimentary drama.
This excessively tedious and predictable heart-tugger is the kind of simplistic middlebrow film that gives quality drama a bad name.
However laudable and well intended its inclusion, this is too elaborate a piece of history to handle in beautifully shot flashbacks, and it sits uneasily with the inspirational classroom scenes.
Considering how colourful the film's real Kenyan landscapes and songs are, it's a shame that a shiny veneer of Hollywood contrivance has been slapped on top of them.
There’s not enough in the story to justify the 98-minute running time, and Chadwick could have balanced history and the present better, but a rich, rewarding picture for all that.
The soldier who fought for the right to go to school in Kenya
Film preview: The First Grader
General release. Check local listings for show times.