DETACHMENT

US, 2011, 97 minutes, Colour.
Adrien Brody, Marcia Gay Harden, James Caan, Christina Hendriks, Lucy Liu, Blythe Danner, Tim Blake Nelson, William Petersen, Bryan Cranston, Sami Gayle, Betty Kaye, Louis Zorich, Isaiah Whitlock, Josh Pais.
Directed by Tony Kaye.

Detachment is surprisingly involving film. It was directed by Tony Kaye, British director of many music videos and winner of Grammy Awards as well is such films as American History X.

It is a grim picture of American education, but seen through the eyes of the a substitute teacher, Henry Barthes, played very effectively by Adrien Brody, something of a loner, coming into school, confronting students, listening to the staff, who was also something of a Good Samaritan for students in trouble. He also is paying for the care of his grandfather in a home for the elderly. His visits to his grandfather and other occasions lead to flashbacks, his memories of his mother, her behaviour towards him, the behaviour of her father towards her, her suicide, with audiences wondering about the consequences for Henry, the substitute.

The school is run down, the principal, Marcia Gay Harden, seems to be at her wits end, is threatened with the termination of her work, has to host a talk for the staff by a local politician. And, at home, there is a sad relationship with her husband, Bryan Cranston.

A range of character actors have cameos as the staff: James Caan, cheerful bit cynical; Blythe Danner, a veteran; Tim Blake Nelson, ignored by everyone, including his family; and Lucy Liu as the counsellor, trying to help the young students who could not care less, eventually losing everything and blasting one of the students – who still could not care less. Christina Hendriks is a teacher who is attracted to Henry.

One of the students, an overweight girl who likes taking photos, comes on to Henry and he has to calm her down. She takes this badly and kills herself. Sami Gayle is a young prostitute on the streets, accosting Henry on the bus, his giving her something to eat, then taking her in, helping her to clean up, becoming the target of her attachment, but his having to lay down the law and her being taken away by juvenile authorities.

With Henry talking to camera often, he offers quite a deal to think about, not that he is always right, but it is experience from the heart, even though it is a seemingly detached heart.

Audiences will not feel detached in their response to this film.

1. The title, the tone, expectations?

2. Tony Kaye, his varied career, interest in social causes?

3. The focus on education, families and relationships, hard lives and dismal prospects?

4. Henry as the focus, his age, experience, a substitute teacher, his sparse apartment, the loner in life, attached?

5. Henry’s solos to camera, observations, cool, detached, the touch of cynicism, idealism, wanting to help, disappointments?

6. The flashbacks, Henry’s mother, his relationship to her, the colour palette for his flashbacks, red? The place of his grandfather, his mother, dealing with her son, the pills, killing herself? The grandfather and his behaviour towards his daughter? The grandfather old, in hospital, the phone call, Henry losing his temper with the nurse, demanding service because it was being paid for? His visits to his grandfather, talking, reassurance, memories, telling his grandfather he was not to blame?

7. Erica and her vigil, the touch of compassion, his death? Signing the papers, wanting time for grief? The effect of his life with his mother and grandfather and the consequences?

8. The high school, the neighbourhood, the building itself, interiors, classrooms, corridors, the common room? The principal and her office? The assembly room? The counsellor? Education American style, hard, the bad reputation of the school?

9. Henry and his classes, his name, responding strongly to the students, their hostility? Confrontations, reactions? And control? Teaching literature? The final class and the opening of The House of Usher, as an image of their lives?

10. Meredith, spurned by the students, her size, interest in photography, his encouragement? Her responding and thinking it was a come on? In the classroom, talking frankly, touching her, the teacher coming in, false accusations, upset? Meredith disfiguring photos? Setting up the booths, the cakes with the smiles, one for Henry, the one herself, her death, Henry trying to help and revive?

11. Eric in the street, reaction to Henry, on the bus, his being willing to help, her behaviour on the streets, her age? The food at home, after accosting Henry and offering sex? His care for her, the physical damage of the rapes? Her attitude, no family, his taking her to the hospital and having the AIDS test? Her making the meal, tidying up, his not coming home, her upset, the breakfast, his laying down the law – and the supervisors coming to take her away? Her struggle and pleading?

12. The principal, in herself, the end of her term, becoming desperate, the interviews, the meeting with the visiting politician, listening to his talk, the reactions? The threats that she would be ousted because of poor results? At home, with her husband, the tensions in the marriage?

13. The range of teachers and the cameo performances: James Caan, older, the touch of cynicism, his attitude, smiling, sitting on the bench and discussing her outburst with the counsellor, attending the meeting with the politician, his reaction, walking out; Blythe Danner, her years in school, attitude, with students, staff, at the meeting and her reactions; Tim Blake Nelson, despair, in the common room, in the corridors, at home, his wife watching the television, son, standing at the fence desperate, Henry seeingn him, his response to the fact that he was seen? William Petersen? Sarah, her presence, interest in Henry, the meal, coming into the room and seeing Meredith, her instant conclusions? Henry’s disappointment in her?

14. Lucy Liu as the counsellor, in her office, treatment by the students, trying to help, their defiance, detachment? Her exasperation with the girl who had no interest, telling her she would never be a model, and sex with hanging out with friends? The blow up, upset? The truth of what she said? And the girl leaving, not touched by the experience?

15. Henry, at the end of his term, with the class, their asking questions, going to new schools, moving on, his comments about The Fall of the House of Usher?

16. The detachment of the variety of characters and the reasons for this? But the audience not detached?