Detachment

Name: Detachment
Genre: Drama
Released: March 16, 2012
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 52
Cast: Adrien Brody, Christina Hendricks, Lucy Liu, Marcia Gay Harden

2012

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 73 Ratings

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7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 73 Ratings

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Detachment

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Movie Details & Credits

Tribeca Film | Release Date: March 16, 2012 | Not Rated

Starring: Adrien Brody, Christina Hendricks, Lucy Liu, Marcia Gay Harden

Summary: Henry Barthes is a substitute teacher who conveniently avoids any emotional connections by never staying anywhere long enough to form a bond with either his students or colleagues. A lost soul grappling with a troubled past, Henry finds himself at a public school where an apathetic student body has created a frustrated, burned-outHenry Barthes is a substitute teacher who conveniently avoids any emotional connections by never staying anywhere long enough to form a bond with either his students or colleagues. A lost soul grappling with a troubled past, Henry finds himself at a public school where an apathetic student body has created a frustrated, burned-out administration. Inadvertently becoming a role model to his students, while also bonding with a runaway teen who is just as lost as he is, Henry finds that he’s not alone in a life and death struggle to find beauty in a seemingly vicious and loveless world. (Tribeca Film)… Expand

Director: Tony Kaye

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 97 min

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Critic Reviews

Anthony Lane

Mar 12, 2012

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]

Peter Travers

Mar 15, 2012

Adrien Brody deserves superlatives for his acting in the alternately mesmerizing and maddening Detachment. Read full review

Robert Abele

Mar 22, 2012

A movie you keep expecting to fizzle because of its punching-the-air gracelessness, but there's something weirdly effective about the artistic desperation, which includes inserts of chalkboard animation and to-the-camera testimonials. Read full review

Movieline Alison Willmore

Mar 15, 2012

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. Read full review

Joshua Rothkopf

Mar 13, 2012

The movie is one big scream, clichéd and hardly credible as an oblique call to civility. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Mar 16, 2012

[Director Kaye's] dedication to the material is admirable, but his tactic of following one dismal development with an even more depressing one comes to seem monotonous and pointless. Read full review

Bill Weber

Mar 11, 2012

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. Read full review

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User Reviews

Helly77

Jan 12, 2013

Adrien Brody was fantastic as the frazzled teacher trying to live despite the world seemingly going mad around him. Sami Gayle was also impressive as Erica.
Despite the rather depressing subject matter, the quality acting made it so believable and Henry so endearing that I have fallen inAdrien Brody was fantastic as the frazzled teacher trying to live despite the world seemingly going mad around him. Sami Gayle was also impressive as Erica.
Despite the rather depressing subject matter, the quality acting made it so believable and Henry so endearing that I have fallen in love with this film.
Brilliant!… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Beingness

Mar 22, 2016

Detachment is not a movie or drama that you watch only! "each movie is a life", but do you use this sentence for all the movies which are on screen? absolutely no! Detachment is a lost part of our life. all the characters in this movie make a man, a human! This is movie about morality orDetachment is not a movie or drama that you watch only! "each movie is a life", but do you use this sentence for all the movies which are on screen? absolutely no! Detachment is a lost part of our life. all the characters in this movie make a man, a human! This is movie about morality or high morality! It's Tony Kaye's never land. It is our surreal world among this bloody real world. Sometimes, I'm Henry, who is building his personality again. Sometimes, I'm Meredith, who is mixed up and need someone to be a permanent solution for her. somebody, after watching, maybe say that this is not a film. it is an exaggeration! This existentialist world does not belong to this world, especially American world. Well, I said this is Tony Kaye talkie. This is a dream world in his mind who thinks a better world among this corrupted real world. Who said that you must think all the characters are real and they are beside us? No, They our other moral parts!
Detachment is not a lesson from a director. No, It just wants to show that you will be this if you want to be this.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

AthanasiosT

Jul 21, 2012

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.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

CinePlacebo

Jul 6, 2012

La educación es una de las grandes esferas de la estructura social y siempre se relaciona con la otra base, la familia. Hoy ambas están en crisis y genera fenómenos de todo tipo. La denuncia o la simple mirada de la transformación que se vive hoy en la escuela,La educación es una de las grandes esferas de la estructura social y siempre se relaciona con la otra base, la familia. Hoy ambas están en crisis y genera fenómenos de todo tipo. La denuncia o la simple mirada de la transformación que se vive hoy en la escuela, hace que la reflexión y el legado que se está dejando no auguren un buen futuro. Detachment es una película contundente que llega a confrontar el rol que todo espectador ejerce en esta sociedad, pasivo o activo, estudiante o padre, comprometido o no con un entorno cada vez más salvaje para las nuevas generaciones.
Ver más en: http://cineplacebos.webnode.es/news/dando-clases-de-insatisfaccion/… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 21, 2021

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, seeingThis 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.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

BobbyLip

Mar 20, 2013

Altho the film is a nearly relentless downer, the acting is terrific. All that makes my rating so low is that an awful lot of what the characters do makes little sense since we don't know who they are or what their story is. That being said, is it worth watching? Very much so, you mightAltho the film is a nearly relentless downer, the acting is terrific. All that makes my rating so low is that an awful lot of what the characters do makes little sense since we don't know who they are or what their story is. That being said, is it worth watching? Very much so, you might even leave with a pinch of hopefulness.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ReviewCritic

Mar 17, 2012

Adrien Brody's performance is very good, and the movie ends up being an inspiring drama.

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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