Review of Detachment (2011) by Deborah B — 29 Nov 2012

This movie won't appeal to many. But that's inevitable due to its very nature. It digs deep to the root of the problem, not just with our education system, but with our society as a whole. Our character as a culture is flawed.

All of our institutions are, indeed, failing us. Those who have decried this film as pretentious or overtly sentimental, too pessimistic, depressing, or even, sadly, too poetic, are perhaps afraid to look so honestly, objectively, and, with a true sense of detachment, at themselves and this deteriorating world.

Poetry isn't dead. The film raises a valid point about the need for literature, and, above all, for the courage to bring literature into one's every day life, as a means to elevate ourselves from the darkness, raise our awareness, and overcome despair.