Perhaps the most interesting thing about the bizarre career of director Tony Kaye is not what is in his few films, but rather everything that took place behind the scenes.
His breakthrough film, 1998's memorable American History X, was a film that Kaye wanted nothing to do with upon release. Kaye claimed the studio changed his film against his wishes when production had the film's editor and its star, Edward Norton, re-cut the film without Kaye's input.
He tried unsuccessfully to have his name removed from the credits, at one point threatening to legally change his name to "Humpty Dumpty." Since 1998, Kaye has only directed a 2006 documentary on abortion and a crime drama titled Black Water Transit that has never seen the light of day due to legal battles with distributors. It would seem as if the man is cursed.
Kaye returned with 2011's Detachment, which opened last April at the Tribeca Film Festival. It is currently set for a limited release this March, as it took nearly five months for it to acquire a U.S. distributor. Detachment stars Adrien Brody as a long-term substitute teacher, who, along with battling his own heavy familial issues, must also deal with what is a seriously failing education system. We see the system when Brody's Henry Blarthes gets a month-long job at a particularly troubled urban high school where many of the students are completely out of control and it's not clear that most of the faculty care any longer.
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Deep down, Blarthes still believes he can reach these unguided youth, evidenced by his reluctant guardianship of a teenage prostitute in desperate need of help. But in the classroom, he goes about it in a somewhat unfamiliar way. He approaches issues with far more restraint and understanding than most ever could, and at times displays a detached (see what I did there?) compassion. He deals with the kids on more relatable levels, not always just teaching ancient text the way many teachers do.
Kaye may not be great at keeping his films out of legal battles, but what he is good at is making an impact. I'm not sure anyone who has seen American History X, like it or not, can truly say some of the more disturbing sequences didn't leave a mark. While not as memorable, Detachment is similar in many ways. The final act won't soon leave your thoughts.
I don't think the word "subtle" is in Kaye's vocabulary. He, and screenwriter Carl Lund, set out to make a point about the state of the education system and, through sheer bluntness, make sure everyone in the room is going to completely understand what that point is. Some of the behavior, mostly on the part of the students but occasionally the faculty as well, is so outrageous that it seems unrealistic. Unfortunately it isn't.
It becomes increasingly obvious where Kaye/Lund think the lion's share of the blame lies for troubled teens and failed education. But there is plenty of blame to go around. We see roots/results of the issues from both the home and school lives of the students and faculty. As awful as most of these relationships are, perhaps the most disturbing is the bullying between students, which is all too recognizable in modern society.
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The film has a very experimental feel too it, incorporating animated sequences, oddly framed/focused shots, and a faux-documentary beginning that gives us testimonials of what appear to be actual teachers. It's definitely a directorial vision, and it immediately made me think that the final American History X product really must have been heavily edited from what Kaye likely initially submitted.
Unfortunately, the style here can be a bit distracting. What holds Detachment together is the cast, led by a commanding Brody and filled out by supporters including James Caan, Marcia Gay Harden, Blythe Danner, Tim Blake Nelson, Bryan Cranston, etc.
Detachment has a worthy story to tell, increased by Kaye's heavy handed treatment of the material. There is a great film in here somewhere, but its fractured style leaves us with a bit of a messy final product.
Rating: 7/11
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