RADICAL (Melbourne IFF 2023) – Review by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
On paper at least, we’ve surely seen this all before. An inspirational teacher, a class of students beyond redemption, and the rest writes itself. From Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society and Sidney Poitier in To Sir With Love to Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds, it’s not exactly a recipe that reinvents the metaphorical wheel. But – like those earlier films – Radical earns a degree of gravitas because it is, in fact, based on real events. Adapted from a Wired cover story from 2013 written by Joshua Davis, he co-wrote the screenplay for the Radical film with Christopher Zalla, the latter who also directed it.
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