Ryan Gosling delivers an extraordinary performance in filmmaker Ryan Fleck's subtle character study of a dedicated but self-destructive teacher in an inner-city junior high school. Dan Dunne (Gosling) is an intelligent, engaging young man who seems to connect with the kids in his history class at a Brooklyn public school, while also coaching the girls' basketball team. But from the start there are disturbing indications that all might not be well: Dunne obsessively rambles to the kids about history as change and spouts philosophical concepts outside of the mandated class syllabus. He also often appears frazzled, tired, and scruffy, and can fly off the handle during games. As it turns out, Dunne's a troubled soul who habitually barhops in the evenings, is incapable of sustaining a relationship, and—especially dangerous—is a drug addict. When one of his female students finds him passed out in a restroom stall after smoking crack, the two develop a kind of mutually protective dependency, but his downward spiral renders his chances for success—both in helping the girl and in keeping his job—more than a little doubtful. Half Nelson's failure to explain Dunne's fall from grace may bother some, but others will appreciate the fact that this modern-day The Lost Weekend lets us draw our own conclusions rather than simply spoon-feeding them to us. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include an audio commentary by writer-director Ryan Fleck and writer-producer-editor Anna Boden, seven minutes of outtakes, three deleted scenes (4 min.), four extended scenes including an alternate ending (4 min.), the Rhymefest music video “Wanted,” and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a powerful drama.] (F. Swietek)
Half Nelson
Sony, 107 min., R, DVD: $26.99, Feb. 13 Volume 22, Issue 1
Half Nelson
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