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Half Nelson (2006) DVD Review
Half Nelson (2006) DVD Credits:
Half Nelson (2006) Directed by:
Ryan Fleck
Half Nelson (2006) Written by:
Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Half Nelson (2006) Cast:
Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Karen Chilton, Monique Curnen, Shareeka Epps, Tina Holmes, Collins Pennie, Deborah Rush, Jay O. Sanders, Sebastian Sozzi, Nicole Vicius, Tristan Wilds
Half Nelson (2006) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Half Nelson (2006) DVD Release Date:
13th February 2007
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Half Nelson (2006) Synopsis:

An inner-city junior high school teacher with a drug habit forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students after she discovers his secret.

Half Nelson (2006) DVD Review:


Ryan Gosling has been a remarkable actor for quite some time now, and finally everyone will know it because of Half Nelson. This very easily could have been a performance that slipped through the cracks, but after Gosling received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor I was reminded of other actors who skyrocketed soon after a nomination. This performance will make him a huge star, even if nobody sees the film. This is going to open doors for Gosling to a number of considerably larger projects, and he deserves it all with this performance. Half Nelson is certainly the most real and remarkable film to come out last year, sharing a special place in my heart alongside Little Miss Sunshine.

Gosling stars as Dan Dunne, a young impassioned history teacher with the ability to make the difficult subject seem relevant and real, while also keeping a serious drug habit after hours. Dunne sees an ex-girlfriend and finds out that she is engaged and this continues his drug abuse until he begins to spiral out of control, no longer able to function properly.

Half Nelson occurs in a real world where even the best teachers have students who don’t listen. It isn’t Dead Poet’s Society and it seems like only a few actually appreciate what a great teacher he is. One that does notice, and becomes even more interested after discovering her teacher’s secret addiction, is Drey (Shareeka Epps). Drey is also on the failing basketball team that Dunne coaches and she forms a bond with him when he starts giving her rides home after practice. As Dunne grows more concerned he learns of Drey’s connection to a local drug dealer (Anthony Mackie), and tries to keep her from becoming involved with him.

Every so often there is a movie that affects me so profoundly on so many levels that I have difficulty pinpointing specifics coherently and that makes it difficult to find the right words to praise the film properly. Half Nelson is one of these films, in my opinion one of the smartest and effective human stories put on film in years, specifically thanks to the wonderful performances by all and Ryan Fleck’s thoughtful and authentic directing.

The DVD contains a music video by Rhymefest and some outtakes, but the real meat of the special features is in the deleted scenes and commentary. The commentary has director and co-writer Ryan Fleck, who gives a thoughtful and revealing commentary.

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Half Nelson (2006) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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