Rating: 
Summary: Utterly Charming, With Heart and Meaning
Review: Before Wil Smith, before Denzel Washington, and even before Morgan Freeman, there was Sidney Poitier, who might be the best African-American actor ever. And, "To Sir, With Love" is a prime example of his skill. The story is of a well-educated teacher getting a job at an inner-city school. He starts off well-intentioned, but slightly rigid and arrogant. He ends up in love with the job, making a huge difference for the kids, and the kids loving him. Fine acting, a fine story, and a memorable theme song make this a five-star film.
Rating:
Summary: Good Role for Sidney Poitier
Review: Sidney Poitier plays a new teacher in a rough London high school, where the kids are used to browbeating their teachers. He gets nothing but disrespect and abuse, until he decides to teach them life skills, instead of academics they may never need. Gradually, the students come to respect him, as he does them. He becomes interested in their families and their lives outside of school. The film follows him through one school year, which may be his last. This plot is a lot like "Up the Down Staircase": Idealistic teacher reforms juvenile delinqent students with his/her devotion to the ideals of teaching. It's pretty predictable stuff and maybe not too realistic; but Poitier is such a likeable presence on the screen you just want to enjoy it. He's completely convincing in his role as the teacher, and he's a pretty good dancer, too. I recommend this film to Sidney's many fans, to would-be teachers who believe they, too, can change the world, and to everyone who was once a student and had a teacher who cared about them.
Rating:
Summary: Quintessential '60s flick!
Review: Sidney Poitier is outstanding and this is one of his best movies. The music is excellent, the acting is excellent, and the storyline is excellent. "To Sir, With Love" looks and sounds great in this remastered edition. This is calling to all of you people who haven't seen this picture in ages. I know you'll still enjoy it.
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Summary: An engineer, a teacher, a parent
Review: Prejudice, a word Mark Thackery, played by Sydney Poitier, a remarkable actor, know so well in this 1967 inspiring movie. The way the script was written, the actors acted and the director, bestow the title of a classic upon this masterpiece of drama. This movie brought the reality of a classroom to the big screens and now to DVD and VHS. "To Sir, With Love", starring Judy Geeson and of course Sydney, can touch the hearts of any person, no matter the age. Mark Thackery (Sydney Poitier) taught me that a person, no matter how bad they seem, can and will change, with no doubts this has truly touched my heart.
Rating:
Summary: To Sir With Love Is Wonderful
Review: This is an inspiring movie. When we treat each other with respect and dignity wonderful things are accomplished.
Rating:
Summary: One of Poitier's best
Review: Sidney Poitier has the role of a new teacher in one of Britain's secondary schools. He is given a class of students who, with maybe one or two exceptions, have reached the end of the academic road and will be leaving school at the end of term. They have no academic future and their future outside of school is not to promising. Bike messengers and shop assistants if they're lucky is what awaits these 15 year olds. (Leaving age in the mid-60s was 15.) The kids can care less about school and are just watching the days roll down until they don't have to attend anymore. Poitier's charecter quickly realizes that the best thing he can do is get these kids ready for the real world. He junks the syllabus and creates his own plan for these people to meet life with something like survival skills. Instead of maths, science and english, he teaches the world of cooking, politeness and proper grooming. These latter skills will help these kids far more than being able to diagram a sentence. I first saw this film when it first came out. I think I had a better appreication of it, as an American, becuase I had jsut returned from living in the UK and attending a secondary school, which while not like North Quay, did introduce me to some of the characters portrayed. Guys I knew were facing school leaving with prospects of working as a green grocer's assistant or a boy soldier or seaman in the Forces. So on an intellectual level, I certainly understood what Poitier's character faced. These weren't juvenile delinquents but a real segment of British society that probably still exists today. This film has just as much validity today as it did when it was first released. The cast is excellent from Poitier down to the kid with no lines but filling a desk. I found this to be a fine film at the time I first saw it and today when I saw it again after a period of several years between viewings. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys British films.
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Summary: I love this movie!!!
Review: If you can watch the ending of this movie without (even fleetingly) wanting to become a teacher than you're the first person I know to do so!!! This beautiful, understated movie is one of Sydney Poitier's best. And the ending is wonderful. To Sir With Love is the last word on all "teaching" movies.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly Stunning...And Captivating!
Review: "To Sir With Love" is one of three Sidney Poitier cinematic masterpieces to grace the silver screen in 1967 (the other two being "In The Heat Of The Night" and "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner"). In "TS,WL", Poitier plays his part well as a nice, warmhearted schoolteacher. When unable to secure a job as a civil engineer, Mark Thackeray (Poitier) agrees to accept a position at North Quay (pronounced like "key") Secondary School in London's tough East End. Mr. Thackeray quickly finds out he has his hands full with a bunch of hard to discipline teenagers at the outset. When he is unable to reach his students through conventional means of instruction with textbooks, Thackeray is forced to rely on utilizing a more simplified teaching strategy. He accomplishes this by arranging an outing to a local museum of classical art, and also by instructing his pupils in the basic culinary art of Home Economics. Thackeray's newly found confidence is somewhat shaken amongst his students after an incident in the school gymnasium involving one of his pupils, and it is at this point where many of Thackeray's students give him the cold shoulder treatment, with the exception of one Pamela Dare (played nicely by Judy Geeson), who seems to take to Thackeray like a fish to water. In the meantime, Mr. Thackeray applies for many civil engineering jobs via the mail with little success. Later on, when the students' teacher is greeted with a warm reception at the final school dance, it begs the question: should Thackeray stay or go, but not before receiving confirmation (also via the mail) that he's been offered a position with a top engineering firm. For the answer to this burning question, you'll just have to watch this dramatic display of fine acting to find out. Oh, and this film also features the fine vocal talents of Lulu, who is featured as one of Mr. Thackeray's students, as well as sings the movie's title song. The band who performs at the school dance is none other than "The Mindbenders", who were led by Wayne Fontana, and had a major hit with the song "The Game Of Love" before "TS,WL" was released. Make sure you include "To Sir, With Love" in your video library today, because acting of the highest caliber, such as this, only comes along once in a blue moon!
Rating:
Summary: Model DVD
Review: A model DVD : a great film, great performances, both widescreen and fullscreen presentation, and a superb restoration job (seeing the washed out color of the trailers really points this up). A favorite that bears repeated viewing.
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Summary: How it really was in England in the 60's
Review: Only Sidney Poitier & Lulu called have created such a tremendous movie, which shows the true way we lived our school days in rainy London in those swinging 60's, we were all young kids who fealt great freedom in living and in speech, pop music ruled our lives because at that time the only pop radio stations available to us, were beamed from ships in the north sea, we had the Beatles etc and we had love, we liked to outrage other people and every time I watch this movie it brings tears to my eyes, my youth, relived over again. The plot and acting is first class but then it should be because it is 100% how England used to be, if you never grew up in those days, well you missed a great adventure, so why not buy this movie and see real life.
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