Fans of dramatic stories are often accustomed to enjoy watching action films about the war, some sort of personal showdowns, professional integrations, prone to some exaggeration and remoteness from realistic events. A completely different perspective on the new work of the talented director Tony Kay in "A Teacher for Replacement." This work is the most extraordinary of a small but still attractive list of films by the British director, which caused the most controversial reviews. “Replacement teacher” after the release of the rental was vigorously appreciated by both well-known film critics and spectators who were not indifferent to the plot of the film.
Year of issue
The first screening of the film took place in the United States. The 2011 “Replacement Teacher” (Detachment) impressed the audience — professionals and amateurs — so much so that the filmmakers did not have to wait long for a response. The hottest reviews of the dramatic American picture was 2012.
It was at a time when its rental was held in many European countries, including Russia and Ukraine. Critics continued to write reviews of the film “A Teacher for Replacement,” inclusively until the end of 2015. Despite the popularity of the picture, not everyone managed to watch it during the first and subsequent premieres, so its plot is being actively discussed at the present time.
Where was the shooting?
The picture was shot in New York. Of the many options, the choice fell on Mineola School on Long Island. This is a typical American school with an acceptable American educational background.
In the film, the classes, lobbies, corridors of the school reflect a very realistic picture. This is what most of America’s middle-class educational institutions look like. But the emphasis in the picture is not on the school itself - its arrangement, educational potential, in particular, the material base, but on those who study in it - it spends most of its life within its walls - teachers and students.
The filming location was not supposed to interrupt the main idea of ​​the film - a reflection of the inner world of teachers and students in the general society - with its brightness and well-arranged arrangement.
Actors Cast
The shooting was attended by:
- The role of the protagonist Henry Bart went to the famous Adrian Brody.
- The director of the school was talentedly played by Marcia Gay Harden.
- Math teacher - Christina Hendricks.
- The role of a minor prostitute Erica (one of Henry's students) attracted Sami Gale.
- Suicide Meredith was played by Betty Kay.
- Lucy Liu did an excellent job with the role of the surviving doctor.
- Grandfather Henry Bart was played by Louis Zorich.
Plot of the film
The storyline of the film "Teacher to replace" the audience’s reviews outline tense and too deep. According to many critics, if it were not so, then the picture would not have taken place.
The film tells about a mediocre, at first glance, middle-aged teacher. Henry Bart is one of the links in American education. The professional activity of the protagonist consists in short-term replacements of teachers in various schools. The so-called “replacement teacher” position is quite suitable for him, he openly admits that he does not want to be responsible in this world for anyone and a brief acquaintance with teenagers does not oblige him to anything. His only task is to control minor children for several hours.
But such a superficial philosophy only reflects the soreness of the soul of Henry Bart himself. He is unobtrusive, cold-blooded, purposeful only superficially. However, the personal drama experienced by him in childhood floats out when he gets acquainted with another school dysfunctional object, reveals the best qualities of his character.
This institution is filled with students in need of attention and education. Life confronts the protagonist with problem children. The interweaving of personal suffering and suffering of these adolescents encourages Henry to sympathize. He understands over time that living without attachment to someone is pointless, all adults should be responsible for what generation is formed after them because of their indifference, cruelty, obstinacy and unwillingness to understand the most basic everyday things.
The underlying meaning in the plot of the picture
The personal breaking of children does not occur within the walls of schools, but in a dysfunctional home environment in which they absorb fears, feelings, and hopelessness. And later it all pours out in the form of one-sided aggression and complete indifference to life - the emptiness of the soul.
At the beginning of the film, Henry says that there must be someone who will be responsible for the children, for how they grow up. Unfortunately, he focuses on this, in his life this did not happen. At the end of the picture, he will try to take this very responsibility upon himself, but it ends not at all as he imagined it.
Plot idea
The personal tragedy of adolescents is much deeper and higher than society, and this must be reckoned, according to the protagonist, to teachers and those who create the educational system itself.
A teacher is not just a tool for gaining knowledge, but also a psychologist. But not all people who consider themselves teachers, have the strength and desire to be everything for their wards, as well as for understanding the philosophy of life.
Is this right or wrong? The answer to this question and disclose reviews and reviews about the "Teacher to replace." Further about them in more detail.
Reviews on the film "Teacher to replace" (2011)
You have not heard what people say? Then read below the opinions of critics and viewers about the dramatic film “A Replacement Teacher.” Reviews among them are both positive and negative.
Some agree with the problems of our time - uncontrollable adolescents, how to deal with it. Many viewers focus on the fact that Henry really dug too deeply, that the plot of the film could be made much simpler.
Others appreciated the director’s idea in the film - the viewer himself must build a philosophy for understanding the plot, for this, many challenging moments found in the picture were applied.
There are also reviews about the “Teacher to replace”, which side with the students, sympathizing with their outstanding position in society. There are those who, unfortunately, did not fully understand the meaning of the film, so the whole plot seems meaningless to them.
Many of the audience’s reviews of “Replacement Teacher” denote that the director did not think through the end of the film to the end. The expectations of many are connected with a more or less happy ending. However, the end of the dramatic picture showed how powerless the ordinary teacher turned out to be in the struggle against the existing problem. As well as how it can lead to professional and mental burnout even of the most psychologically stable people without the support of those who give birth to children and try to educate them according to their own rules or adjust their psyche to a social standard.
Detachment Reviews
Since the release of the film, more than sixty professional reviews have been written. Only half of them are positive.
Many critics note the positive fact that the film makes you think about such a problem as the destruction of the future society by the existing one. Generational interconnection is very important. Small people in this world replace large ones over time, and what they put into understanding the world, and subsequently makes it such. Unfortunately, today this is the predominance of cruelty, general indifference, depressive hysteria, complete apathy, lack of compassion and understanding.
The negative aspect of the reviews of the plot of the film affects such moments as:
- Depression
- incompletely understood motives for the suffering of the protagonist (Henry's mother committed suicide in order not to repeat the story of incest that she survived thanks to her father - grandfather Henry, who did not take responsibility for his dirty deeds);
- the ill-conceived line between the compassion of the protagonist to one ward and another.
Did you happen to see this popular picture that caused so much criticism from the audience? It’s interesting what kind of reviews you will write about “Replacement Teacher” (2011) after watching.