Review of Half Nelson (2006) by Dave M — 31 Jan 2010

Half Nelson is not a wrestling film as its title may suggest. It is a small budget independent film by an unheard of director Ryan Fleck. I guess its only real claim to fame is that lead actor Ryan Gosling got an oscar nomination they year of its release.

Gosling plays a lonesome high school history teacher in a troubled New York neighbourhood. He lives in a dirty flat and is a crack addict. He spends his time being high. At school he tries to stir interest in his pupuls and does not hesitate to leave the educational programme aside. He is friends with a 13-year-old black girl who knows his secret.

Gosling was a great surprise and showed a lot of talent. His good looks are not put forward. Instead he performs the part of a beardy, skinny junkie very well. he my be a total loser, but you cannot help yourself from fearing what may happen to him next. will he be fired from the school? will the girl become a problem for him? Will the local drug dealer hurt him?

The support cast also put in good performances and make the film realistic. Nobody is bad and nobody is good. You can be a gang leader and drug dealer but you can still have a heart and feel sorry for a junkie teacher. The girl is also very cute and shows a lot of maturity.

One can argue that not much happens in Half Nelson. That may be right. However, I would say that the film is more of a focus on a period of life in a specific place under sepecific conditions. This is what life was like and people's lives are not clear-cut, but very borderline. They just get on with it and have no real high hopes of radical life changes.

I recommend Half Nelson for the pleasant experience of seeing true people and for the realistic emotions generated from the film. In addition, Gosling is worth the visit.