Half Nelson

Dan (Ryan Gosling) is a drug-addicted high school history teacher. Drey (Shareeka Epps) is one of his students, who can see herself possibly following in her brother's footsteps and working for a local drug dealer. Dan and Drey strike up a friendship.

Dan is a smart, fundamentally decent man leading a life of quiet desperation. His ex-gf, Rachel (Tina Holmes), tells him that some people get better, and Dan is adamant in his response. Not him. Change is not for him. To another girl, he explains how he tried rehab, but it doesn't work for him. And yet Dan's desire for change is shown in his lessons to his students. He constantly describes opposites - up and down, left and right - and talks about change. From one breath to your next breath, change has happened. And yet Dan's affliction just provides more and more of the same.

The film is all about Ryan Gosling, who gives us a complete portrait of his character. You just can't take your eyes off of this guy. Whether babbling under the influence or talking with real passion to his students or just sitting quietly saying nothing at all, Gosling shows us a man, who has a lot to give, but is held down by his affliction. The out-of-nowhere flashes of humour and the many moments of vulnerability completely endear us to Dan. His friendship with Drey arouses moral instincts in him that brings his self-loathing and helplessness more to the surface. We understand Dan, and our understanding of him is mirrored in the eyes of all the supporting characters, played out by a perfect ensemble cast. So much is conveyed just in the briefest character exchanges.

So the film succeeds with strong performances and making sure all the pieces fit together with respect and care. And yet the finished puzzle isn't really as gripping as it should be. Maybe because we've been through this material before, or maybe because this is a film that lives through its many small moments and observations. With tense character-driven material like this, I was sort of expecting more flash and meltdown, but this isn't that sort of film. This is a film, where you can admire the focus, commitment, and quality, but its a slow burn - not a big jolt to the system.

"Ryan Gosling stars as Dan Dunne, a young teacher whose edgy yet brilliant approach to history inspires his inner-city students to think for themselves. But, outside the classroom, Dan's life is spiraling out of control. Wrestling with inner demons and nursing a serious drug habit, Dan finally hits rock bottom - witnessed by one of his troubled students, Drey (Shareeka Epps). With an unlikely friendship built on a shared secret, Dan tries to steer her away from a small-time drug dealer (Anthony Mackie). But no matter which way they turn to survive, their lives will change forever," according to the film's official synopsis.

"Half Nelson" suffers from too much of the wobbly "hand held" camera technique which, frankly, isn't necessary to make the film look more realistic. Yet, the story, by director Ryan Fleck and partner Anna Boden, and characterizations are good enough to overcome this distraction. The marvelously written screenplay is full of nuances, which serve the main point - showing the interconnecting ways drug addiction can infect the human spirit, when people like those played by Mr. Gosling and Ms. Epps are needed to play much more positive roles in a troubled world.

Gosling's "Academy Award" nomination for "Best Actor" is clearly understandable; and, Epps could have easily won some "Best Supporting Actress" consideration. At least, the "Independent Spirit Awards" recognized the memorable pair's delicately played teacher/student roles. Everyone else in the cast is excellent, as well. And, the non-melodramatic ending leaves "Half Nelson" full of hope.

******* Half Nelson (3/22/06) Ryan Fleck ~ Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie, Monique Gabriela Curnen

Two knockout performances dominate this uncompromising and emotionally visceral indie. Directed and co-written by first-time feature director Ryan Fleck, this 2006 drama pulls no punches and offers no cheap sentiment in the story of two people intractably bonded by their mutually desultory existences - Dan Dunne, a crack-addicted Brooklyn middle school history teacher, and Drey, a 13-year old student in his class burdened by an overworked mother, a brother in prison, and an insinuating drug dealer named Frank. Fleck and co-writer Anna Boden establish Dan's gifts as a teacher almost immediately as the character engages his class with natural ease. It becomes clear that this is not going to be a fish-out-of-water story but a more complex study of a man caught between his passion for teaching and his hopeless need for the next fix.

Dan's self-defeating effort to separate the duality in his life is what provides the impetus of the plot, as there are no simple explanations offered for his drug-addled life until we catch a glimpse of his emotionally disconnected family later on. Much like what Vera Farmiga achieved in "Down to the Bone", Ryan Gosling dissects his character with textured precision and conviction. He honestly earns our attention and even our compassion despite the selfishness Dan displays at times. Matching Gosling all the way is novice Shareeka Epps, who plays Drey with almost unnerving steadiness. She affectingly conveys the self-protective insulation her character has against a world too ready to use her.

Together Gosling and Epps remarkably achieve an unexpected symbiosis that makes Dan's and Drey's ongoing struggles palpable. The supporting cast is uniformly strong with effective turns by Anthony Mackie, who shows surprising depth in what could have been a stock villain role as Frank, and by Karen Chilton etching the regret and exhaustion in Drey's mother in just a few brief scenes. Even though the film was done on a miniscule budget, it doesn't feel cheap with particularly strong work found in Andrij Parekh's intentionally bleached-out cinematography. The 2007 DVD offers a nice, unassuming commentary track by Fleck and Boden, but the rest of the extras are not very interesting - a gag reel, three understandably deleted scenes and four extended scenes that really don't add much more insight. However, the film itself is exceptional work.

I am teacher. And I saw this film from the angle of my job. As a realistic portrait of a special universe. As honest image of the essence of a work. As one of the most inspired performances of Ryan Gosling. As a great film. About the deep reality behind the appearences. A film about truth. And eulogy of friendship. Short, a teacher, his student and the fight against him. Enough for few questions about near reality and the choices around it.

Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps were just plain awesome in this film by Ryan Fleck.

Gosling was impressive as an addict that was trying to hold on and teach. You could see the constant struggle as he fought giving up. The back and forth with Epps was quietly enchanting. Both certainly showed great acting talent in this film.

No loud action and prurient subject matter, just a sweet film showing a man's struggle and a girl's growing up realizing that drugs cripple. This film is hard to reduce to simple formulas. It transcends any mold and entertains in a reflective manner.