Detachment

It is the greatest biblio-climax of any film since "Fahrenheit 451," although Truffaut's prayer was that reading might yet survive calamity and carry the torch of the civilized. Detachment snufffs out that faith; books it warns us, are the first thing to go. [19 March 2012, p.91]

When it stays in the classroom, Detachment is a scrappy testament - to the futility of even trying to reach students who are cut off from the possibilities of knowledge, and to the way that our teachers are slowly being driven nuts.

People will either love Detachment or hate it, and either way it provides powerful testimony to the unrivaled passion and undiminished craft of director Kaye, whose notoriety in the film industry is matched by his near-total invisibility to the general public.

Comes across like the creation of a precocious student. I don't mean that to be a damning critique, though Detachment is a mesmerizing misfire -- it's just that it has the uncomplicated earnestness and hyperbolic melodrama of teenage poetry.

Scripter Lund, himself an ex-teacher, delivers a story that lacks nuance, and mixes badly with Kaye's impatient edits, Dutch angles and extreme close-ups.

Movies about teachers are flypaper for overblown armchair crusaderism, and this overbearingly cynical attempt gets my vote for worst offender yet.

Endng in risible bathos, Tony Kaye's urban high school melodrama is all about the cute teacher's crises and the girls who love him.

Superb movie with great messages for the US education system (and the worldwide one, too) !! A must for parents, students and professional teachers. Also, proof that small budget films are usually much much better than their blockbusters cousins.

In connection with Detachment, the French film Entre les murs is repeatedly mentioned, which is also a disillusioning probe into the depths of current school conditions. The difference, of course, is that Cantet's film brilliantly uses the style of cinema verité, and therefore gives the impression of an unmediated "window into reality" - but it is, understandably, a careful construct, attempting to cover all problematic aspects of the school system in the form of a case study of one class and then one pupil . Detachment is mainly the opposite from a formal point of view - a syncretic work that flaunts its artificiality and stylization. Here we encounter completely unequivocal documentary elements (repeated cuts to an "interview" with Barthes/Brody, grainy shots from a hand-held camera, seemingly intuitive reframing of the camera, etc.), but also artistic narrative procedures (highly stylized subjective flashbacks, alternating formats, animated nipples, etc.), which are two seemingly incompatible areas of the filmmaking spectrum. Detachment can best be characterized as a frustrated cry with an attempt to appeal to the viewer through emotions - these are created here by a quick succession of heated situations that could never happen in such a short period of time in one place (one school) in reality, but here they are for us shoved under their noses in their most strained form. In addition, the film makes extensive use of fast-cut (in one scene, cleverly confusing) close-ups, which increase the impact of the unfolding situation or dialogue even more. It is, in a way, a frontal attack on the viewer's senses, which, however, finds justification in the hopelessness it discusses. The picture is a reflection of the chaos of one, or perhaps a collective mind, which does not know how to fix the system, but at the same time unfortunately knows that the system is completely **** up and dysfunctional. Here, it goes beyond the boundaries of educational institutions and, for example, in line with Henry's sick grandfather, the film also goes into the healthcare sector. "Surprisingly" it reveals a number of similarities: both environments are characterized by bureaucratic depersonalization consisting of paperwork hovering over the newly deceased, or in commercially oriented marketing presentations viewing education as a corporation tasked with fulfilling financial and other plans and generating profit. A lot of documentaries today play with elements of fiction and thus become a kind of hybrid that admits its manipulativeness or stylization - Detachment is a postmodern scattered fiction with elements of a documentary and a clearly appellative tone, which finds a certain ideological similarity with the agitation films of Michael Moore. And cinematography thus further sinks into an even more fragmented space, in which the differences between art and kitsch, pop culture and avant-garde, documentary and fiction, almost cease to exist.

After many tiktok clips of this movie popping up on my fyp, I finally gave this movie a chance. It did not dissapoint.

This is a sobering watch indeed, a thoughtful one with a strong emphasis on social commentary (the desire to make something of yourself, to believe in your ability etc.). Its perhaps a little like Dangerous Minds, only not so dramatic as such. Having been in education for many years, seeing how disinterested the numerous students were reminded me of situations I've seen myself. I liked that at times we (the viewer) are shown what appear to be drawings made out of chalk shown on old fashioned blackboards, drawings/images of birds taking flight, animals and so on. I suppose its to represent freedom and mobility (social mobility) perhaps. I thought that Adrien Brody did well portraying the substitute teacher, someone who can guess what may be behind some of his temporary pupils problems and issues but never having the time to be able to fully work with any of them, while we also see that he has his own emotional stresses in his own family life. This is a sad watch but its a good film. I liked the variety of characters present and I thought the film was well casted too, so overall I would recommend this film, yes.

"Detachment" is a gripping drama film directed by Tony Kaye, known for its raw portrayal of the American public school system and the challenges faced by both teachers and students. Released in 2011, the movie stars Adrien Brody as Henry Barthes, a substitute teacher who drifts from school to school, detached from emotional involvement yet deeply affected by the plight of the students he **** film delves into the harsh realities of contemporary education, touching on themes of apathy, disillusionment, and the struggle to connect in an increasingly disconnected world. Brody delivers a powerful performance as a man haunted by his own troubled past, yet compelled to make a difference in the lives of the students he encounters."Detachment" is not an easy watch; it confronts the audience with uncomfortable truths about the state of education and society at large. However, it is also a deeply moving and thought-provoking film that prompts reflection on the role of teachers, the impact of trauma on young lives, and the importance of empathy and connection.Kaye's direction is masterful, employing a gritty visual style and a non-linear narrative structure that adds to the film's sense of urgency and emotional intensity. The supporting cast, including Marcia Gay Harden, Christina Hendricks, and James Caan, deliver standout performances, further enriching the film's portrayal of a world in crisis.Overall, "Detachment" is a poignant and provocative film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion, understanding, and human connection in the face of adversity.