Review of Half Nelson (2006) by Connor _ — 20 Apr 2011
Ryan Gosling, in a debatably Oscar nominated role, plays a drug-addicted inner city school teacher. His life has no real direction it's headed in, every part of his life is just a sideshow. Shareeka Epps is a student of his, a moral but submissive young girl who's brother is in jail, her dad id out of the picture, her mother reluctantly works too much, and the one person she has no choice but to rely on is the dishonorable but arguably responsible hoodlum Anthony Mackie.
Gosling's acting is very good, but it's very clear that he's acting. Epps doesn't show much of any acting, on the other hand, but most of her scenes are taken up by the notable performances of Gosling and Mackie.
One particularly memorable scene between Gosling and Epps is when she realizes he is completely and vulnerably at the mercy of the drugs. Anyone who's seen this film knows what scene I'm talking about, towards the end.
B+.
This review of Half Nelson (2006) was written by Connor _ on 20 Apr 2011.
Half Nelson has generally received very positive reviews.
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