Movie Review: Half Nelson

Movies Reviews

By Ronald Wilkinson Aug 13, 2006, 5:12 GMT

Gosling’s meatiest part to date, ‘Half Nelson’ follows his co-starring role with Michael Pitt four years ago in the weak-kneed ‘Murder by Numbers’ with Sandra Bullock.

In that film he teamed with Pitt to form the perfect duo of self-inflated morally dispersed teenagers who would have brought out hatred in Mother Teresa. In this film he underlines the quest for moral meaning in a world that offers fewer signposts than ever before for the spiritually and emotionally vulnerable.The story takes us from Dan as the world’s greatest teacher, using engaging metaphors and gamesmanship to pull his students into their studies, to a burned out human husk trying to figure out what hit him. A cautionary tale along the lines of ‘Requiem For a Dream’ (Darren Aronofsky’s independent powerhouse production of 2000) the movie offers something that “Requiem” does not: salvation. That salvation is the potion of human contact with one of his students played by Shareeka Epps. In a breakthrough role for Epps, her character sees through the confident exterior of the teacher who holds all the cards. Rather than pouncing on him like a vengeful adolescent she bonds with him as another person in the fight to stave off despair in the inner city. She is the person who has seen humans destroyed by the random lethal traps laid for even the most well meaning and has no intention to go down, or let another person go down, without a fight.Anthony Mackie plays Frank, an inner city drug dealer who has the dual role of looking out for Shareeka while supplying the drugs that are destroying Dan. Frank’s role is pivotal to the conflict and to the moral dilemma facing inner city youth today.On the one hand he is violently defensive regarding the ones he loves but on the other hand he has to make choices about living or dying in a society that seems to care less every day.Outstanding performances by Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie and Shareeka Epps in this chilling vision of a man losing it all to a drug habit. Although the film lacks the extraordinary grit and dimension of ‘Requiem for a Dream,’ young director Ryan Fleck has done a great job with wonderful grainy footage and a gritty picture of the inner city that is as real as it gets. Shareeka Epps’ feature acting debut comes through like gangbusters; there is no question she knows what she is talking about in this film. She is always in control. Finally, Anthony Mackie’s performance as a straight-up drug dealer is first rate. ‘Half Nelson’ is an honest and totally real film done on what appears to be a low-no budget. But unfortunately, like many great low budget films it may lack the polish to make it in any but the hardiest of independent venues.Limited release, NYC, USA August 11th MPAA: Rated R for drug content throughout, language and some sexuality.

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