Why you can trust 12DOVE
A substitute teacher (Adrien Brody) shows up at an inner-city public school, finding a rundown hellhole with a hopeless staff incapable of motivating their apathetic pupils.
Depressing, and relentlessly dour, Detachment makes Half Nelson look like Animal House . Brody and his impressive co-stars (including James Caan, Christina Hendricks, Lucy Liu and Bryan Cranston) ensure a consistent level of watchability.
But while you can admire the rigour of director Tony Kaye’s ( American History X ) bleak vision, it’s impossible to take his didactic diatribe as seriously as it takes itself.
Neil Smith is a freelance film critic who has written for several publications, including Total Film. His bylines can be found at the BBC, Film 4 Independent, Uncut Magazine, SFX, Heat Magazine, Popcorn, and more.