Posted on February 27, 2012 with 7 notes.
Tagged: detachment, tony kaye, movies watched in 2012, new to me 2012, .
Movies Watched in 2012 96. Detachment (Tony Kaye, 2012) You know, Tony Kaye has been pretty out of the picture since American History X happened and after all the controversy that surrounded the movie, it’s not that surprising. Now, he’s back with a bang of a film, Detachment.  Most movies about the education system pretty much make everything about a savior teacher. Take for instance Dead Poets Society, Stand and Deliver, Freedom Writers, and even School of Rock. The issue is that each of these films try too hard to focus on the education system rather than on people themselves.  Whether or not you’ve been placed into a public school system where no one really seems to care and the few who do are just being drowned in how futile their attempts seem to be, you can understand exactly what this film is going for. It’s a reminder that even when you try your hardest, there’s an enormous chance that things won’t work out the way you expect. There’s always some hope, but trying to hang on to that hope is the hardest thing to do. Brody’s performance is spectacular; clearly the best work he’s done since The Pianist. The way he interprets this character and brings out the darkness within him is impressive and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him snagging a Best Actor nomination this year (assuming this film even gets the recognition it deserves).  The supporting cast of school faculty is as colorful as can be, showing off the skills of Lucy Liu, Marcia Gay Harden, Christina Hendricks, Blythe Danner, and James Caan in small and simple segments that one wishes were expanded further. The two that surprise the most here are Caan and Liu - one with dark humor and the other with an intense breakdown. Even Bryan Cranston, probably given (one of) the smallest role(s) in the film, stands out in his minute or two of screen time. For a first time screenplay, one doesn’t expect something that goes as deep as Detachment does. It’s gritty, it’s real, and I’d even go as far as to say it deserves a longer runtime - maybe even an HBO miniseries to further develop these intriguing characters. The blending of a documentary style and a straight-forward film works out well and you can see how he’s developing his own style, drawing from American History X and Lake of Fire.  One can only hope that Tony Kaye continues making great films in his career (I can’t wait for Attachment) because between the few he’s created so far, there’s no doubt that he’s a talented guy. And let’s face it - there just aren’t enough directors in this world willing to show the bleak beauty of this world we live in.

Movies Watched in 2012

96. Detachment (Tony Kaye, 2012)

You know, Tony Kaye has been pretty out of the picture since American History X happened and after all the controversy that surrounded the movie, it’s not that surprising. Now, he’s back with a bang of a film, Detachment. 

Most movies about the education system pretty much make everything about a savior teacher. Take for instance Dead Poets Society, Stand and Deliver, Freedom Writers, and even School of Rock. The issue is that each of these films try too hard to focus on the education system rather than on people themselves. 

Whether or not you’ve been placed into a public school system where no one really seems to care and the few who do are just being drowned in how futile their attempts seem to be, you can understand exactly what this film is going for. It’s a reminder that even when you try your hardest, there’s an enormous chance that things won’t work out the way you expect. There’s always some hope, but trying to hang on to that hope is the hardest thing to do.

Brody’s performance is spectacular; clearly the best work he’s done since The Pianist. The way he interprets this character and brings out the darkness within him is impressive and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him snagging a Best Actor nomination this year (assuming this film even gets the recognition it deserves). 

The supporting cast of school faculty is as colorful as can be, showing off the skills of Lucy Liu, Marcia Gay Harden, Christina Hendricks, Blythe Danner, and James Caan in small and simple segments that one wishes were expanded further. The two that surprise the most here are Caan and Liu - one with dark humor and the other with an intense breakdown. Even Bryan Cranston, probably given (one of) the smallest role(s) in the film, stands out in his minute or two of screen time.

For a first time screenplay, one doesn’t expect something that goes as deep as Detachment does. It’s gritty, it’s real, and I’d even go as far as to say it deserves a longer runtime - maybe even an HBO miniseries to further develop these intriguing characters. The blending of a documentary style and a straight-forward film works out well and you can see how he’s developing his own style, drawing from American History X and Lake of Fire. 

One can only hope that Tony Kaye continues making great films in his career (I can’t wait for Attachment) because between the few he’s created so far, there’s no doubt that he’s a talented guy. And let’s face it - there just aren’t enough directors in this world willing to show the bleak beauty of this world we live in.

  1. mr-sali reblogged this from thechosenjuan and added:
    Decent movie to pass the time with.
  2. thechosenjuan posted this