A feud between teachers: Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche are instructors of literature and art at a boarding school.

Picture gallery

Jack Marcus (Clive Owen) is a man of words who used to be a noted writer. Today he ekes out a living as an English teacher at a private school in Maine. Even as he drowns his remaining creativity in alcohol, he tries to inspire his pupils for with the power of language. Often in vain. Things don’t change until the arthritic painter Dina Delsanto (Juliette Binoche) arrives to teach art at the school and claims that pictures are worth more than words. An opinion Jack doesn’t share: he takes it as a challenge and starts a rivalry to get in good with the disgruntled school board.

Fred Schepisis ambitious dramedy stars Juliette Binoche and Clive Owen as headstrong teachers who start out feuding enthusiastically but eventually learn to value each other. Their moving performances are unfortunately watered down by several segues into boring side plots.