Review of Half Nelson (2006) by Tonypolito — 20 Nov 2010

A very interesting twist on the "good teacher tackles tough urban school" genre.

A twenty-something inner-city public school teacher (Gosling) once held a wisp of passion and purpose toward touching the lives of those around him, but he lacked any talent for it, and now the pilot light's barely a-flicker.

His soul - hollowed out by his own vacuous clubbing, uninspiring classroom lectures and failing personal relationships - ends up in the "half-nelson" grip of crack/coke addiction. He can barely remember to shave, much less to look over next week's prescribed curriculum.

Almost too far gone down the rabbit hole, Gosling's last nail-hold on redemption is his attempt to steer one of his young students (Epps) away from a wrong turn into the neighborhood of drugs. But it is street-wise-for-her-age Epps who is in far better condition to be behind the wheel.

Gosling's dramatic performance earned an Oscar nod - and discovery Epps delivers as well. Gosling's slo-mo tailspin is accentuated by the director's low-budget, indy-style realism - uneven zooming/focusing, real-time pacing and jittery hand-held cameras.

While the pace is slow, the characters eventually reveal and the film ultimately rewards.

RECOMMENDATION: Worthy viewing time. An interesting and insightful look at what classroom inspiration can mean - in a world that mostly lives far and away from the idealistic ivy-covered halls of "Dead Poet's Society." Recommended.