- Film Review
- Reviewed By Stella Papamichael
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3 out of 5
Adrien Brody is the quiet centre of a ferocious storm in this drama from provocative British director Tony Kaye (American History X). He plays a disillusioned supply teacher who copes with the everyday grind by remaining emotionally detached from it. But he's surrounded by chaos and rage, powerfully expressed here in confrontational close-ups and in the scathing sarcasm of school counsellor James Caan and his pressurised colleague Lucy Liu. Still, the loudest voice belongs to Kaye, whose head-on approach is sure to ruffle feathers. That vitriol feels justified as Brody's noncommittal sub finally reaches out to a talented but troubled pupil (played by Kaye's daughter, Betty), only to be admonished for being too touchy-feely. His character's attempts to rehabilitate a young hooker seems incongruous and clichéd by comparison, but newcomer Sami Gayle looks like a potential star in that role. Admittedly, the film is heavy-handed in places, but it still makes you sit up and take notice.
Plot Summary
A substitute teacher drifts from school to school, actively trying to avoid making emotional connections with either colleagues or pupils. When he takes a placement at a school with an apathetic student body and a frustrated administration, he finds himself becoming an unlikely role model. Drama, starring Adrien Brody, Marcia Gay Harden and James Caan.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Henry Barthes
- Adrien Brody
- Ms Sarah Madison
- Christina Hendricks
- Principal Carol Dearden
- Marcia Gay Harden
- Mr Charles Seaboldt
- James Caan
- Ms Perkins
- Blythe Danner
- Dr Doris Parker
- Lucy Liu
- Mr Wiatt
- Tim Blake Nelson
- Mr Dearden
- Bryan Cranston
- Mr Sarge Kepler
- William L Petersen
- Erica
- Sami Gayle
- Meredith
- Betty Kaye
- Grampa
- Louis Zorich
- Mr Mathias
- Isiah Whitlock Jr
Crew
- Director
- Tony Kaye
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