Stark and riveting, "Half Nelson" proves we don't need reality entertainment: this non-glossy, non-'Hollywood' drama seems real enough. Junior high school history teacher and girls' basketball coach Ryan Gosling crawls into a crack-clouded fog once he gets home; one of his inner-city students knows his secret, yet she is harboring troubles of her own. Gosling is inherently charismatic and intrinsically smart while working from a gut instinct, resulting in a performance that is constantly surprising, always unpredictable; as an actor, he is so focused (and brave) that we don't recoil from him even as his character is turned inside-out, showing us behavior that is hardly pretty. Supporting cast is equally strong, aided by an outstanding screenplay from Anna Boden and director Ryan Fleck, who shies away from both sentimentality and melodramatic sensationalism. "Half Nelson" is so good, critics run the risk of overpraising it. It is mainly a quiet movie, a character study in a lower key, and yet what we absorb from it can last for days. *** from ****

Mr. Dunne is the middle school teacher every student wants: He's sharp, funny, sports a cool, unshaven mug, and coaches basketball on the side. By day, he brings out the best in his students as they discuss politics and systemic injustice. By night, however, we see a different Mr. Dunne – one who trolls the nightclubs, snorts cocaine, and slides deeper into a crack addiction.Talk about a black and white movie.It is after a basketball game that Dunne is found semiconscious clutching a crack pipe in a locker room by 13-year-old Drey (Shareeka Epps), an African-American who has grown up fast with a deadbeat dad, workaholic mom, and an older brother serving jail time. Even with her street smarts, she believes in her teacher, helps him up, and begins a tentative friendship in the most remarkable and overlooked film of 2006.Obviously, this is a tough film to watch, and it isn't one of those inspirational teacher/mentor movies either. Instead, it's a character study of two people, both flawed and frustrated, who have at least one thing to hope for: one another.Half Nelson doesn't walk down the predictable path of dire revelations and grungy lost causes as most films about drug addiction do. Rather, director and co-writer Ryan Fleck rejects the obvious and captures a plainspoken sympathy for Mr. Dunne and observes without interfering. Where the film works best is in the wordless scenes complemented by the hauntingly beautiful music of Broken Social Scene.Where the film shines is in Ryan Gosling's performance as Mr. Dunne. Working without pretense or exaggeration, he makes Dunne charming yet vulnerable, casual yet dominating. Gosling is so uncomfortably real that it would be a mistake to judge him and not embrace him; condemn him and not sympathize for him.Half Nelson has "independent film" written all over it because of its unappetizing subject matter and sparse public exposure, but that's what makes it so special. Being a movie critic isn't about panning big, Hollywood films; it's about informing people like you that there are other cinematic gems out there. Take my word for it: watch this movie and tell me what you think.

Gosling carries the film out of semi obscurity, undeservedly so, with a tour de force performance conveying bravery and range well beyond his years. He plays a young and apparently together history teacher/ basketball coach at a predominantly black Brooklyn school, battling with severe depression and addiction while off duty. When one semi troubled and off the tracks student uncovers his secret in a brutal and chilling bathroom scene, their connection evolves to an ever growing judgmental and glass-house-rapport leading to an inevitable and somewhat unexpected interconnection.Missing a stronger grasp at the helm and more effective editing, Ryan Fleck overuses the shaky camera to a point of exhaustion, beyond what the gripping story asks for sometimes losing the viewer that is never quite alienated thanks to Gosling's magnetism and deserving first Oscar nomination.

Half Nelson (2006): Dir: Ryan Fleck / Cast: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie, Collins Pennie, Tina Holmes: Excellent junior high school drama about the chain links that join us together emotionally. Ryan Gosling plays a young teacher loved by his students yet caught in the washroom hooked on dope. Shareeka Epps plays the bright young student who understands Gosling's breakdown and befriends him. He learns that his ex-girlfriend is engaged to be married thus spiralling him deeper into the despairing desire for drugs. Epps is stronger in that although she lacks positive male support in her life, her single mother loves her. Director Ryan Fleck receives a great performance from Gosling that translate as one of the best performances of the year. This teacher has a gift for knowledge and passing it on yet struggles with past pain and an inability to cope. Epps steals the film as his student who excels and becomes a strong leg for Gosling. Anthony Mackie plays the drug dealer whom her brother worked for before being arrested. Collins Pennie plays her reckless older brother whom is caught up in crime and answers for it. Tina Holmes plays Gosling's ex-girlfriend whom turns up. He is unable to deal with this thus descending further into depression. Results in a superb portrait of emotional support joined together as well as proving to be one of the best films of the year. Score: 10 / 10