Detachment

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.