Half Nelson

I gave this film 1 star just because I thought Ryan Gosling was pretty good in the film and hopefully he knew this film was a huge risk, but trying to broaden his acting he wanted to do something Independent. Both certainly showed great acting talent in this... ... Full Review

Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson Ryan Gosling received an Oscar nomination for his mesmerising performance as a middle-school teacher with a secret in this smart, raw, wonderfully restrained movie. Half Nelson handles the emotional bond between the pair in surprising, measured ways. ... Full Review

Look out for a quite beautiful supporting performance from Shareeka Epps as the 13-year-old student who discovers Dan is risking his career by night while trying to inspire youngsters by day. Although Gosling's performance as drug-addicted teacher Dan Dunne is terrific, not much happens to satisfy mainstream audiences eager for microwave-ready violent confrontation. ... Full Review

Equally important in the film is Drey (short for Audrey), a bright, 13-year-old black girl in his history class, superbly played by Shareeka Epps, a non-professional actor.....Half Nelson, the film in question, the first feature of director Ryan Fleck and his co-screenwriter Anna Boden, who also edited and co-produced, might have been doubly appalling..... ... Full Review

It's impressively adult, sure-footed filmmaking....Fracture (15 cert, 113 min) Gosling is hardly any less good in Fracture, a much more conventional entertainment but one that's shiny, sardonic and engrossing.....This film, the feature debut of Ryan Fleck, could have been a schematic nuisance....Oscar-nominated in the excellent junkie drama Half Nelson , and outacting Anthony Hopkins in a sleek judicial thriller called Fracture.....that Best Actor nod was definitely deserved..... ... Full Review

When actor du jour Ryan Gosling was wildly praised and Oscar-nominated for his role as the inspirational you-know-what in a tough you-know-where, my misgivings about Half Nelson were primed: more redemption amid the chalk-dust. Almost as impressive is Shareeka Epps as Drey, a touching study in self-containment (and self-concealment) that bespeaks a maturity way beyond her years. ... Full Review

In the end, it's this reluctance to grapple with the larger questions that hampers Half Nelson.....But Half Nelson's aim is never quite so confident when it comes to the social or political implications of what it highlights;.... ... Full Review

We already had the script for Half Nelson, they invited Half Nelson to get feedback from other professional writers who we worked with for a week up in the mountains, and that was really helpful and fun. Ryan: Yes, Sundance has been very supportive of this project throughout every stage, beginning with the short, we won the prize and they invited us to the writer's lab there. ... Full Review

It's a simple story with few flourishes, but the memory lingers.....Funny moments spring naturally, like a scene where Drey backchats Mr Dunne.... ... Full Review

Ryan's performance turns what could have been a slow drama into a captivating story for entertainment.....HALF NELSON is a well acted film with a real message.....Fitting this message into the plot leads to some rather dramatic moments..... ... Full Review