Half Nelson (2006)

The Worst Film Ever

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The sentence I copied from the glowing number one review which I pasted below says it all. "Although the premise of the film is somewhat implausible, Gosling's performance of the charming but flawed teacher is completely credible"

A great character role by Ryan Gosling as Dan Dunne, an imaginative and creative high school teacher with a drug habit. Eventually his extra curricular life catches up with him when friends and colleagues see some bizarre behaviour. Ryan Gosling shows a range of acting talents as a dedicated teacher whose life spirals out of control. The hidden life is first discovered by one of his students, Drea, a good friend. I liked their initial friendship, which became more than just being friends. The student, played by Shareeka Epps, and Anthony Mackie as Frank, the nice guy dealer, are both outstanding among some other fine supporting actors. A great performance by Gosling with a fine cast behind him is a movie worth seeing.

Stark and riveting, "Half Nelson" proves we don't need reality entertainment: this non-glossy, non-'Hollywood' drama seems real enough. Junior high school history teacher and girls' basketball coach Ryan Gosling crawls into a crack-clouded fog once he gets home; one of his inner-city students knows his secret, yet she is harboring troubles of her own. Gosling is inherently charismatic and intrinsically smart while working from a gut instinct, resulting in a performance that is constantly surprising, always unpredictable; as an actor, he is so focused (and brave) that we don't recoil from him even as his character is turned inside-out, showing us behavior that is hardly pretty. Supporting cast is equally strong, aided by an outstanding screenplay from Anna Boden and director Ryan Fleck, who shies away from both sentimentality and melodramatic sensationalism. "Half Nelson" is so good, critics run the risk of overpraising it. It is mainly a quiet movie, a character study in a lower key, and yet what we absorb from it can last for days. *** from ****

Half Nelson (2006): Dir: Ryan Fleck / Cast: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie, Collins Pennie, Tina Holmes: Excellent junior high school drama about the chain links that join us together emotionally. Ryan Gosling plays a young teacher loved by his students yet caught in the washroom hooked on dope. Shareeka Epps plays the bright young student who understands Gosling's breakdown and befriends him. He learns that his ex-girlfriend is engaged to be married thus spiralling him deeper into the despairing desire for drugs. Epps is stronger in that although she lacks positive male support in her life, her single mother loves her. Director Ryan Fleck receives a great performance from Gosling that translate as one of the best performances of the year. This teacher has a gift for knowledge and passing it on yet struggles with past pain and an inability to cope. Epps steals the film as his student who excels and becomes a strong leg for Gosling. Anthony Mackie plays the drug dealer whom her brother worked for before being arrested. Collins Pennie plays her reckless older brother whom is caught up in crime and answers for it. Tina Holmes plays Gosling's ex-girlfriend whom turns up. He is unable to deal with this thus descending further into depression. Results in a superb portrait of emotional support joined together as well as proving to be one of the best films of the year. Score: 10 / 10