It’s hard to find something that feels to be so real that it breaks your heart as you see the characters struggle. The 2006 film ‘Half Nelson’ starring Ryan Gosling is one such dark, powerful and emotional drama that will surely stay with you long after the credits roll.
Directed by Ryan Fleck who co-wrote the film with Anna Boden and based on their 19-minute film ‘Gowanus, Brooklyn’ (2004), ‘Half Nelson’ follows an inner-city junior high school teacher with a drug habit who forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students after she discovers about his drug addiction.
‘Half Nelson’ is as real as it gets and does not sugarcoat anything. The film shows that everyone’s going through their own life struggles and no matter how strong and put together they may appear, everyone’s facing their own breakdowns. The film is gritty, it’s tough and there are moments that break your heart. The performances are phenomenal and make you feel for the characters.
The film has 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the website consensus reads, “Half Nelson features powerful performances from Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps. It’s a wise, unsentimental portrait of lonely people at the crossroads.”
If not for anything else ‘Half Nelson’ is a must watch for Ryan Gosling and witness his excellence as an actor during his younger days. Infact, Gosling even got an Academy Award nomination for the Best Actor for the film. This movie will shake you from within, it’s engaging, it’s elegant, and it’s unpredictable. If you haven’t seen ‘Half Nelson’ yet, well there’s no better time than now!