Half Nelson Details

Half Nelson Rocks

Forget what you thought you knew about teacher-student films. (Dangerous Minds this aint). Half Nelson is an absorbing, moving and utterly compelling look at the complexities of being human. Ryan Gosling’s deserved Oscar-nomination for Best Actor for his performance here is bang on. He plays trouble History teacher Dan Dunne, who is happy to bin the rule books if it means actually communicating to his students. However his private and public life blur considerably when his taste for drink and drugs takes him into seriously dangerous ground. When 14 year-old student Drey (Shareeka Epps) finds him smoking crack in the school toilets, so begins a relationship that aims to throw up the sheer perplexity of life – nothing is ever black and white. Essential viewing.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Brilliant!

Half Nelson, to be totally honest, does tend to drag you along because the theme and story definitely aren't gripping. In fact, here's the summary: A drug addict history teacher and a clever young black student develop a strong friendship and end up changing each other's lives. Sound boring? I thought so but the raving about Ryan Gosling and his Oscar nominated performance attracted me and plus I've got a lot of free time in my hands as well. By the way, he was brilliant for an actor of his experience and definitely deserved the nomination....but just the nomination since he really had no chance against Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland). Anyway if you start watching the movie and you think 'Damn! This is too slow and the plot isn't going anywhere' don't give up just bear with it till the end and I guarantee you'll feel fully satisfied and that you've just watched a brilliant piece of art.

The message is another thing to rave about as well because the movie isn't only trying to tell the viewers that 'drugs are bad...especially if you're a teacher' but also you'll note that the main character (Ryan) has no racial distinction. And he feels that Blacks and Whites shouldn't be judged differently and it will probably make anyone who watches it feel the same way....or at least most of us (I really can't imagine a member of the KKK's view of black people alter in the slightest after watching it.) But the message is powerful and beautiful and I felt very good inside after watching it. My point here is that don't only expect an amazing performance but also an amazing movie in general.