Ryan Gosling is phenomenal as the dynamic junkie teacher at a tough inner-city school whose after-hours activities collide with those of one of his young female students, who is also a fledgling drug runner.
Half Nelson is that rarest of marvels – an American Fiction film that wears its political heart on its sleeve... The delicacy of its lead performances... and its sense of everyday texture are worthy of praise.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2007
Half Nelson 2006
Fleck’s lauded debut is impressive for what it doesn’t do. Riffing on the familiar theme of troubled-teacher/impressionable student relationships, Half Nelson is set in a tough, inner-city school where Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a dynamic educator. After school he numbs himself with drink and drugs, and as his dependence grows, Dunne becomes a poster-boy for waste in an aimless society. In a moment of folly, he’s found tripping in the toilets by a student, Drey (Shareeka Epps), a fledgling drug-runner who witnessed her family ruined by narcotics. An uncertain friendship develops, a hook Fleck uses with considerable skill, resisting the impulse to overdramatise. The performances are remarkable: Epps is a riveting example of honesty while Gosling’s mesmerising portrayal took him to the Oscars.
“Half Nelson is that rarest of marvels – an American fiction film that wears its political heart on its sleeve... The delicacy of its lead performances… and its sense of everyday texture are each worthy of praise.” — Manohla Dargis, NY Times