Half Nelson

Half Nelson

Ryan Fleck's debut film.

Plot:

A young teacher that leads a double life with his teaching by day and doing drugs by night.

Review:

Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a teacher in the innercity of New York. Being driven by a passion and typical leftwing ideas he's a well liked on the school in general. Like his own parents who were involved politically he too wants to make a change in society. Dan is a somewhat troubled individual, maybe due to direction the world is going in his eyes, and does drugs whenever he has free time. He has a girlfriend but that doesn't work out that well being disillusioned and addicted to drugs. One day the facade falls as a student (Shareeka Epps) finds him in a school toilet being induced but does not tell anyone and they form a different kind of teacher-student relationship. 

I appreciate this young mans acting alot. Has done several interesting roles including this one and in The Believer. A somewhat quiet film and it avoids all the clichees of the theme "Teacher in innercity enviroment with all the struggles that comes with it". The focus is different than these typical films that we've seen before.

Half Nelson, the name, refers to a move in wrestling where you overpower your opponent in a certain way. If it has any relevance to the film whatsoever is something that is clouded in mystery. Unless they are refering to Goslings characters drug struggle which obviously might be possible.  

Trailer:

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