First Grader, The (Blu-ray) (2011)

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General		Extras
Category	Biography	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2011
Running Time	103:00
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Justin Chadwick
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Naomie Harris Tony Kgoroge Oliver Litondo Sam Feuer Nick Reding Vusi Kunene Emily Njoki John Sibi-Okumu Israel Makoe Dan 'Churchill' Ndambuki Shoki Mokgapa
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Alex Heffes

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

The First Grader is based on a true story.

When, in 2003, the Kenyan government made a bold statement,that anyone who wanted education could have it free, they expected a popular response from parents in the city of Nairobi and rural areas, all wanting their children to learn how to read and write. What they did not expect, however, was for an 84 year old man, Kimani Maruge, to turn up at an elementary school seeking his government given right.

Played with stoic dignity by local anchorman Oliver Litondo, Maruge is a man on a singular mission. His reasons for desiring education are simple. He has received a letter from the government and wants to read it. He wants to read it himself. His reasons for this choice are not so straightforward. Maruge was a member of the Mau Mau group in the 50s fighting for Kenyan independence from the British. The letter holds some significance for him but he doesn't know what it is.

Presiding over a school overrun with new young applicants teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris) is a little bemused when Maruge turns up for his education. He is turned away immediately for being too old but the old man is insistent-he points out that the government declaration said that everyone, regardless of age, would be entitled to education. The next day he arrives again to be turned away for not having school clothes. His persistence eventually wins Jane over and she allows him into an already overcrowded class.

The First Grader tells in a fairly straightforward fashion the challenges that beset the old man once he becomes the oldest pupil in school. The parents of the young children are unhappy, many through jealousy that they too cannot read. The government has a mixed response. At times Maruge is an embarrassment to the system and yet he is the darling of the international media, always on the lookout for one of those quirky stories

The film is directed by Justin Chadwick who previously tackled Tudor England in The Other Boleyn Girl. He also did a marvellous job bringing Dickens Bleak House to life. Here he works with a script by experienced scribe Ann Peacock but the result strays a little too close to a simplistic telling of his story.

The marketing for this film might lead one to imagine that it is a "fish out of water" comedy. It is not. The film has a political background as Maruge wrestles with the brutalities he experienced in the Mau Mau uprising. There are torture scenes. Even today it seems racial tensions, between the various tribes, still fester. The film does make it quite difficult to work out who hates who and why.It is at heart a drama.

British actress Naomie Harris puts in her best performance yet as the equally determined and dedicated Jane who that believes very strongly that the old man should have his promise from the government kept.This is despite the very real pressures brought to bear on her from the governement and angry parents.

Video

IMDB suggest that The First Grader was presented in cinemas had a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. It is difficult to find DVD and Blu-ray reviews of this title on the Internet. I have been unable to confirm by other reference sources whether the 2.35:1 aspect ratio is correct. However, watching the trailer for the film online suggests that cropping has occurred. I have marked it down, according to site policy.

In any event, this Blu-ray is in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio filling a 16x9 screen.

There is no obvious evidence of cropping although one scene with vehicles driving through the dusty Kenyan outback looked like it had been squashed.

This Blu-ray is on a BD 25. It is arguable whether the film would have needed more than a single layer Blu-ray.

The resulting film is a little soft throughout but it is difficult to tell whether this is due to the transfer or the directors predilection for using suffused light in many scenes.

The level of detail is good and are no obvious technical defects with the transfer. The colours are strong and vibrant throughout.

There are descriptive subtitles included.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

The First Grader Blu-ray carries two soundtracks. The prime soundtrack is an English DTS HD Master audio track 5.1. There is also a Dolby Digital 2.0 descriptive audio track running at 224 Kb/s.

The film is performed in English though there are subtitles provided in those scenes where the characters are speaking in another language. Notwithstanding that this is an English film, where actors African actors are performing in English with African accents, the dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The actors enunciate well.

This film is mainly front and centre with its sound design. There is not a great deal for the surrounds to do other than provide some general ambience. The sub-woofer is only engaged from time to time. The score is by experienced composer Alex Jeffes who blends the music well between scenes of drama and pathos. Other music comes in the form of African traditional music and more modern African pop music.

There are no technical defects with the sound.

Audio Ratings Summary

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There are no extras.

    It is not clear what extras will be present on other regions. At the moment this is the best version to buy.

 The First Grader is a good drama film telling an interesting story about perseverance and reconciliation with the past. In truth there is probably a better movie hidden in this story, including the fact that Maruge presented a speech to the United Nations in New York. No criticism could be made of the lead performers.

The Blu-ray is of decent though not outstanding quality and the lack of extras is disappointing. I would like to have seen a documentary on the real Kimani Maruge.

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