Detachment

Detachment is about a teacher, a substitute teacher named Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody). Barthes is "detached"... which allows him to be calm in the chaos around him. He begins substitute teaching in a high school where students threaten teachers with violence and even rape. What reward do these educators get for their time and energy? They get verbally assaulted and maybe even spat on. The kids are also academically well below par. So on top of stomaching daily harassment from students, teachers are expected to raise scores on state tests. Each member of faculty deals with the daily challenge of teaching differently. Henry walks in on his first day and says to his students that there is only one rule in his class... "If you don't want to be here, you are free to leave." He allows the kids to verbally attack him because he doesn't care, but when they attack another student they are... "free to leave." Henry slowly and some what painfully gains the respect/ trust of the classroom which then allows him to actually educate and influence.

Teaching is not the only struggle in Henry's life. Henry's grandpa suffers from dementia and lives in an assisted living facility. He visits his grandpa, who raised him, on a regular basis and is in a constant fight with his caretakers to actually care for him properly. As he cares for his grandpa he experiences flashbacks of his childhood and his mother's suicide. His mothers suicide forever haunts him.

On his bus ride home, after visiting his grandpa, he sees a young girl in a tight black skimpy top, a very short black skirt, and knee high fish-net stockings exchanging oral sexual services to a sleazy looking older man. The young girl and Henry get off at the same stop. After unsuccessfully offering her services to him, Henry decides to take her to his apartment and let her get cleaned up and stay there for the night. The two form a rare kind of bond and Henry lets her stay with him on the condition that she won't bring her "business" into his apartment. He provides a safe place for Erica (Sami Gayle), which seems like something she's never had.

I really love the character Henry. He cares but in a sensible way. He sees things clearly and has pure intentions. His emotions are guarded but that only helps him to be able to do what he needs to do. I don't know if I've ever met a character like this but it's someone I would love to know in real life. He has his problems, we all do, but he doesn't make them anyone else's. Plus, Adrien Brody is brilliant... I can't imagine anyone else playing this role and making it work. He conveys so much without doing a whole lot and I think that's an amazing talent. Sami Gayle also does an amazing job in playing Erica. She's someone you want to protect and tell her that things can change for her. She's someone you can tell could do anything and just doesn't know it.

In my opinion this movie is phenomenal! It is a story about this one man, but it's also about so many other things... it's about the education system, the pressures and realities of teaching, it's about suicide, its about family, it's about battling life's struggles. It's really a movie that everyone can relate to, and I think that viewers who work in education will have a unique appreciation for it.