Parents' Guide to

Detachment

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Mature drama is more introspective than inspirational.

Movie NR 2012 97 minutes
Detachment Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 10+

Ten and up

There was a bit of sexualness but it wasn't as bad as what people are saying it was a positive movie and i wouldnt mind having my 10 year old daughter. Though some references would go right over her head

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
age 15+

This is reality...

Detachment was not bad at all, after reading some great online reviews I gave it a shot and liked it, however, it's much different than anything I've seen. The setting, atmosphere of the film, storyline...etc. It deals with a lot of emotional issues and problems people go through on a daily basis, it's strong and disturbing. One man, Mr. Barthes (Adrien Brody), is a good down to earth kind of guy who helps to change people's lives while working as a substitute teacher in New York. He meets a variety of people who all seem to take to him, allowing him to nudge himself into their daily problems and help make the best of it. But he doesn't always make the wisest decisions when one of his students commits suicide right in front of him, his feelings about everything changes. It's really a good look at some of life's issues and what people go through even when they keep it a secret. It's depressing throughout most of the film but there is a little light at the end of the tunnel. Great acting and awesome cast! Language is very strong and frequent mostly by teens. Violence includes a disturbing act of male students beating a cat inside of a bag with blood shown, a graphic and gory suicide, loud arguments and cruel remarks about others, a woman appears to have cuts and bruises on her body (references to rape), references to death, teens fight. Sexual content includes a porn mag looked at by a male senior with nudity but ends quick, a teen prostitute hassles a man - she's later shown going down on a guy (you hear him moan but no nudity), a senior lady is shown fully naked sitting down, a woman wears skimpy clothing, a woman gets the wrong impression when she walks in on a teacher hugging one of his crying students. There is prescription drug use and alcohol, also a scene of smoking. Not suitable for younger teens, 16 and up is fair.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

Tony Kaye, the controversial director of American History X, returns to filmmaking with DETACHMENT, an emotionally powerful, enlightening drama. Brody plays a distant, closed-off character, but he relies on his natural charisma to draw focus to himself. He carries his pain just below the surface, locked away but still present. He's mesmerizing, especially when facing some kind of conflict.

The other characters -- played by an impressive cast including James Caan, Lucy Liu, Marcia Gay Harden, Christina Hendricks, and Tim Blake Nelson -- help to provide perspective as harried, frenzied, damaged, deluded souls. The movie throws in some strange, occasional blackboard animation and amber-colored flashbacks to help set the mood. The story's events may line up a little too neatly to test Brody's character on cue, but the emotional responses are truthful, and the movie's satisfying ending is earned.

Movie Details

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