Drama. PG-13. 1 hour, 43 minutes. At the Chez Artiste.
Based on the true story of a Kenyan man who goes to school for the first time at age 84, “The First Grader” hits all the feel-good notes you expect it to hit. Adversity is overcome and forgiveness is granted, lessons are learned, and hearts are warmed.
But strong performances and a stripped-down visual aesthetic help mitigate some of the movie’s potential mawkishness.
Director Justin Chadwick’s film, based on a script by Ann Peacock, follows the unlikely challenge Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge (Oliver Litondo) chooses for himself toward the end of his life. When he hears on the radio that the Kenyan government is offering free primary education, he walks to the tiny, rural schoolhouse near his remote village home to enroll.
He’s initially turned away but, quietly undaunted, returns and insists he needs to learn how to read. Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), the head teacher, reluctantly agrees to take a chance on Maruge and finds room for him in her already crowded classroom. Jane and Maruge eventually form an easygoing friendship.
But Jane’s decision and her steadfast loyalty to her elderly pupil are so unpopular with parents and community members that they place her future in danger — both professionally and with her husband (Tony Kgoroge), an up-and- coming government official.
Harris, who’s had a strong presence in films including “28 Days Later,” is feisty and determined in all the requisite ways, but she dials down the delivery of many of her lines that could potentially be clunky and cloying. And Litondo, a former news reader appearing here in his first lead role, gives a consistently dignified, restrained performance.
“The First Grader” tends to oversimplify good and bad and clearly delineates the decent souls from the villains, without a whole lot of gray area or room for interpretation. That Maruge becomes an international media sensation seemingly overnight feels a bit far-fetched. But the simple fact that this is such an inspirational story makes it worth checking out.
