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brandon [ 9.0 ]
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this "idealistic teacher gives estranged students hope" film reminds me of something stanley kubrick might have enjoyed getting his hands on. a surprisingly affecting and disturbingly satisfying film.
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Love_Spoon [ 4.5 ]
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The first two-thirds of this film were excellent, and then the last third lost all credibility. I'm not blaming the acting, directing, or cinematography, all of which were excellent. I'm blaming the story itself, which was over-the-top and seemed to sensationalize and trivialize a serious problem in the country today. 187 is the California statute number for murder, as well as (apparently) a popular graffiti motif for California youths. A Brooklyn teacher, stabbed repeatedly one day with a nail, takes a job several months later as a substitute in a largely-Latino/Chicano barrio High School. Everything goes satisfactorily until his gold pocketwatch is stolen (why bring an heirloom to school?) and a teacher friend's dog is taunted and hangs itself. At this point in the film it goes from Lean on Me or Stand and Deliver into a sort of Taxi Driver or Falling Down. Any more would spoil the movie for those that still want to see it. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed in the film, I wanted it to be really good, but I almost laughed out loud when at the end I read, "This movie was written by a teacher." I thought, "It was?" If this screenplay was written by a teacher, I'd really expect it to be truer to life and less self-destructive. If you see it, see it for the acting, not the story.
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| Weighted Rating | : 6.2 |
| No. Ratings | : 10 | |
| No. Reviews | : 5 | |
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