Film "Replacement Teacher" - reviews, reviews, cast and plot

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Dramatic story lovers are often accustomed to enjoy watching action-packed films about the war, some personal showdowns, professional integrations, prone to some kind of exaggeration and distance from realistic events. The new work of the most talented director Tony Kay in "Substitute Teacher" has a completely different angle. This work is the most extraordinary of the small, but still attractive list of film works of the British director, which caused the most controversial reviews. "Substitute Teacher" after the release was stormily appreciated by both well-known film critics and viewers who are not indifferent to the plot of the film.

Year of issue

The first screening of the film took place in the USA. "Teacher to replace" (Detachment) 2011 release so impressed the audience - professionals and amateurs that the creators of the picture did not have to wait long for a response. The year 2012 was the hottest for reviews of a dramatic American film.

It was during the period when it was rolled out in many European countries, including Russia andUkraine. Critics continued to write reviews of the film "Replacement Teacher" inclusive 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 filming?

The picture was filmed in New York. Of the many options, the choice fell on the Mineola School on Long Island. This is a typical American school with an environment acceptable to the American way of education.

In the film, the classrooms, lobbies, corridors of the school reflect a completely 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 there - spend most of their lives within its walls - teachers and students.

The filming location should not have interrupted the main idea of the film - a reflection of the inner world of teachers and students in the general society - with its brightness and prosperous arrangement.

Starring actors

Participated in filming:

• The role of the protagonist Henry Bart went to the famous Adrien Brody.
• The headmistress of the school was talentedly played by Marcia Gay Harden.

• Math teacher - Christina Hendricks.
• The role of underage prostitute Erica (one of Henry's students) was played by Sami Gale.
• Meredith's suicide was played by BettyKay.
• Lucy Liu did a great job as the worried doctor Doris Parker.
• Henry Bart's grandfather was played by Louis Zorich.

Movie plot

The storyline of the film "Replacement Teacher" is described by the audience as tense and too in-depth. According to many critics, if it were not so, the picture would not have taken place.

The film tells about an ordinary, at first glance, middle-aged teacher. Henry Barth 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 position of “replacement teacher” suits him quite well, he openly admits that he does not want to be responsible in this world for anyone and a short acquaintance with teenagers does not oblige him to anything. His only job is to control underage children for a few hours.

But such a superficial philosophy only reflects the morbidity of the soul of Henry Barth himself. He is unobtrusive, cold-blooded, purposeful only superficially. However, the personal drama that he experienced in childhood pops up when he meets another dysfunctional school 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 the suffering of these teenagers pushes Henry tosympathy. He understands over time that it is pointless to live without being tied to someone, all adults should be responsible for what generation is formed after them due to their indifference, cruelty, stubbornness and unwillingness to understand the most elementary everyday things.

Embedded meaning in the plot of the picture

Personal breakdown of children does not occur within the walls of schools, but in a dysfunctional home environment in which they absorb fears, worries, hopelessness. And later it all spills 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 talks about how there should be someone who will be responsible for the children, for what they will grow up to be. Unfortunately, he focuses on this as well, this did not happen in his life. At the end of the picture, he will try to take this very responsibility upon himself, but everything ends up completely different from how he imagined it.

Story idea

The personal tragedy of teenagers is much deeper and higher than society, and this, according to the main character, must be taken into account by both teachers and those who create the education 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 to understand the philosophy of life.

Is this correct or not? The answer to this question and reveal the reviews and reviews about "Substitute Teacher". Furthermore about them.

Reviews on the film "Replacement Teacher" (2011)

Haven't you heard what people are saying yet? Then read below the opinions of critics and viewers about the dramatic film "Replacement Teacher". There are both positive and negative reviews among them.

Some agree with the problems of our time - uncontrollable teenagers, how to deal with it. Many viewers emphasize that Henry really dug too deep, that the plot of the film could have been made much simpler.

Others appreciated the director's idea in the film - the viewer must build a philosophy of understanding the plot himself, for this many suggestive moments found in the film were used.

There are also such reviews about the "Replacement Teacher" that take the side of 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 audience reviews about "Replacement Teacher" blame the fact that the director did not fully think through the ending of the film. The expectations of many are associated 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 fight against the existing problem. And also how it can lead to professional and mental burnout of even the most psychologically stable people without the support of those who give birth to children and try to raise them according to their own rules or by adjusting their psyche to the social standard.

Detachment reviews

Since the release of the film, there have beenwritten more than sixty professional reviews. Only half of them are positive.

Many critics note as a positive moment the fact that the film makes you think about such a problem as the destruction of the future society by the existing one. The relationship between generations is very important. Little people replace big people in this world over time, and what they invest in understanding the world makes it so later on. Unfortunately, today it is the prevalence of cruelty, general indifference, depressive hysteria, complete apathy, lack of compassion and understanding.

The negative angle of the film's plot reviews touches on points such as:

• depression;
• not fully understood motives for the protagonist's suffering (Henry's mother committed suicide in order not to repeat the story of incest she experienced thanks to her father, Henry's grandfather, who never took responsibility for his dirty deeds);
• an ill-conceived line between the protagonist's compassion for one ward and another.

Have you had a chance to see this popular picture, which caused so much criticism from the audience? I wonder what kind of feedback about "Substitute Teacher" (2011) you will write after watching.