Review of Half Nelson (2006) by Zach T — 02 Feb 2017

I really loved this film. I don't know why it took me so long to get around to it. It's honest and portrayed so well by the whole cast. However it's all pulled together, by at that time in his career a young Ryan Gosling.

There are projects that actors do so they can get to the projects they can't yet. Gosling was more or less a good actor at the time and I think he hit a home run in terms of the the trajectory of his career by choosing to deeply commit to such a character.

He's flawed, lonely, confused, heart broken yet pathetically beautiful because he at the very least has one moral piece to him. He may drown out his true self constantly with drugs but it's ironic that he says a few times through out the film that one thing doesn't make a man yet the only thing that holds him together is the opportunity to hopefully change someone life.

The beauty that gosling brought to the character is what his ability to say so much with out saying a single word of dialogue. That's what makes him a fantastic actor. Drive is the perfect example of that ability.

I highly recommend this film it's shot very well. There was so much that I got out of not seeing them talk about that were deeply rooted issues but by the character responses in body language and facial expressions it said more than any written script or set could have brought to the table.

Once again proving that films like this will always be more honest and respected than huge budget films it's not for a pay day but for why we love films.