Dead Poets Society received a lot of praise upon its original release, and at first glance it's easy to see why: a very solid cast all around and backed up by strong performances. A beautifully groomed private prep school with lots of visual attention to all those little details that make the place and this film so visually inviting and rich. The main message it extolls is to 'fight/resist conformity and be yourself'. All of which I can get behind. Unfortunately, this story has been told countless times, and while this film may look better than many of the others with the same story, it doesn't really bring anything new, except of course for looking very, very good. It knows all the cliched touching points to push at exactly the right times throughout. All of this is to say that while Dead Poets Society disappoints on several levels, it is still worth checking out if your curious.
Review of Dead Poets Society
