Half Nelson

Since Ryan Fleck's Half Nelson feels more like a fascinating character study than an actual plot-driven film at times, a very talented actor is crucial for the movie to work. And boy does Ryan Gosling bring it.


Gosling plays Dan Dunne, an inner-city junior-high teacher who wants nothing more than to reach at least one student. Effortlessly, he seems to get his students excited about history. He cares about his pupils; he connects with them. When Dan catches one of the kids cheating on a test, he simply shoots him a reproachful look and says nothing; he's willing to give the kid a second chance. Dan is the perfect teacher.

But one night after a school basketball game, 13-year-old Drey (played with incredible maturity by Shareeka Epps) discovers something about Dan in the deserted locker room: he's a drug addict. She gives him an icy glare, while he stares back with an equal amount of terror and remorse in his eyes. From that point onward, the two begin a rocky friendship.

Ryan Gosling is only 26 and has already given what most people would consider the performance of a life-time; a detailed and fully-realized character that manages to really leap off the screen. Watch the way he seems slightly distracted whenever he's not in the classroom or without his students. Or the nervous and shameful way he acts when he's getting his load from the drug dealer. He makes every moment crackle with the zest of real life.

Without being preachy, Half Nelson acts as a truly effective anti-drug cry. All it takes is a couple bad decisions and you could royally fuck up your situation. Dan is a great guy and it's true what he says to Drey about his drug problem: "One thing doesn't make a man", but when he's under the influence, things get out of control and he gets himself into big pickles with the people he cares most about.

At the same time, it could be interpreted as a movie about accepting people for who they are. There are regular interludes where the students speak about specific moments in Civil Rights history. It's very Reds-esque and adds even more weight to the film about the bonding between a young black teenager and her white male teacher. All of this is contained in a small indie that some might see as just another vehicle for a baity star turn, but Half Nelson really transcends any labels.

The closest the movie ever comes to sentimentality is when Dan spills his heart out to his co-worker/love-interest in a seedy motel room (Oscar clip!), yet the movie manages to be incredibly moving. The light, ambiguous conclusion is thought-provoking and I can't think of a better way to go out.

Grade: A-

*I'm actually contemplating an A grade. That's seriously how great I think this movie is.