Dismissed

Education is the key for many opportunities. No matter what job you want to do, education will help you find your way in life. Even if you have problems reading, there are ways that you can get the same education with help. I was the student who had really big problems with math. If i wanted to learn the difficult parts of math, i had to learn through a class especially made for students who needs help. I remember that i was grateful, because if i did not go through that math class, i would not have passed any math tests at all. I would not say i had really good grades in my final years in school, since i did not get a single A. I did get B at most, but i was fine with that. My plan was to focus on working in butcher shops, factories at the end of the 90´s, and i did. So what if something unexpected happens at your school, that might change your future forever ? This is exactly what happened in the really powerful film Notes On A Scandal from director Richard Eyre. The story is surrounded by chaos, when teacher Sheba Hart ( played fantastic by actor Cate Blanchett ) is having an affair with the very young student Steve Connolly ( played really well by actor Andrew Simpson ). When Sheba´s teacher colleague Barbara Covett ( with an outstanding performance from actor Judi Dench ) reveal their secrets, everything falls apart. This film is a perfect example how important it is, not to bend the rules, and stay professional. The line between students and teachers can be very difficult. As a teacher, do you feel secure enough to draw a line, when you feel that one student is not taking you serious ? How do you handle that situation, in a professional way, without disrespecting the student ? This is some of the issues we are about to experience in a film called Dismissed. This is one of the films i came across on VOD, that i knew nothing about. Usually when i don´t know anything about a film, ( except reading what the film is about ), i like to watch a film with a open mind without any expectations. With an unknown cast, and a director i have never heard of before, is Dismissed an unexpected highlight, or a total waste of your precious time ?

Mr. Butler ( Kent Osborne ) is a dedicated teacher, who want to teach students as much as possible. One day his class have a new student. His name is Lucas Ward ( Dylan Sprouse ), and seems to be very intelligent for his age. At first Mr. Butler is curious to see if Lucas is a student who is ready for new knowledge. But it becomes clear that Lucas have problems with the way Mr. Butler writes grades, when he gets a B instead of an A. This is the beginning of a long and painful road, where Lucas makes it very clear, give him an A or something serious could happen. Mr. Butler does not appreciate this threat, so starts to dig into Lucas past. What he is about to find out, will give the image of Lucas a completely different look.

Have you ever seen any actors from Disney TV series be any good ? Usually, most of them are not very good, and you pretty much forget about them. I found out that actor Dylan Sprouse have been in a number of Disney TV series in the past, and he have now moved on to make more serious films. What shocks me most of all, is the fact that actor Dylan Sprouse, is actually the most disturbing character, and most interesting character of this film. I did not expect him to be this good, so well done Dylan. If we look at the plot surrounding Dismissed, we have seen several films that have used the same concept. However, what Dismissed does is to try to be a little bit more intelligent than using the same formula. There are a few twists in the background, as we find out more about the disturbing student Lucas. Another thing i enjoy about Dismissed, is that there are more than one character that is interesting. The teacher Mr. Butler of course, played well by actor Kent Osborne. He feels natural, and seems to go into his character as the nice teacher, who is losing control. I also enjoy the character of shy student Becca, played by actor Rae Gray, who actually have feelings for Mr. Butler.  It is a good thing that the film tries to dig into different things, than just the complicated situation for Mr. Butler. That gives the film Dismissed a more solid ground. Director Benjamin Arfmann have directed short films, and TV series in the past. Dismissed is his first feature full film, and i have to say he have done a good job, With such a simple story, he could have easily done everything very predictable. It is clear that he want to give us a deeper psychological look into the mind of a young man with a disturbing personality. Dismissed is nothing original, or does not break new grounds. But as a thriller, i feel that this film have the right elements to make it interesting. I am looking forward to see actor Dylan Sprouse after his performance in Dismissed, i feel that he could be an actor that will surprise us even more in the future. Lesson learned teachers worldwide, do not underestimate the intelligence of your students. 

Rating: DDD