Half Nelson

Why Depression is Fun!

When I leave a movie feeling like I need to either kill myself or get doped-up on anti-depressants -- all the while feeling somehow empowered to fight the forces of oppression and unite the world...I know I've seen an Oscar-worthy movie.

As I was watching Half Nelson last night, I made a mental list of all the emotions and feelings I experienced....things like: unease, discomfort, pain, pity and even nausea. (Which, admittedly, is very weird...but true.) After it was over, I wrote them all down and slept on it. Those feelings haven't really changed.

First and foremost, the movie was incredibly powerful. The script is minimal and frequently depends on the talent of its actors to convey the message through action and expression. They do not disappoint.

I had heard a great deal of buzz about Ryan Gosling's performance as Dan Dunne, the drug-addicted history teacher of an inner-city Brooklyn school. In fact, in a recent poll on IMDB, he came in second overall as a favorite dark horse candidate to steal an Oscar from the anticipated recipient. Now I know why. Gosling delivered one of the most compelling and understated performances I've ever seen by such a young actor. So believable, in fact, that it honestly made me hope he doesn't fall into a similar career path as River Phoenix. (It was Phoenix's role in My Own Private Idaho that is rumoured to be the cause of his drug addiction and subsequent death in 1993.)

Dunne is discovered strung out in the girls locker room by 13 year-old Drey, one of his latch-key students. What follows is a relationship between the two that, while it never actually crosses the Mary Kay Letourneau line of indecency, becomes painfully uncomfortable from time to time. I found myself yelling at the TV in a vain attempt to keep young Dunne from losing his job. He doesn't, of course, because the movie isn't about physically inappropriate teacher-student relationships. The movie is about one young man's struggle to come to a realization that he alone can't change the world. He escapes to a drug-induced haze to deal with life and in a way comes to depend on young Drey to find a little hope.

There was one thing about this movie that aggravated me. I don't care much for screenwriters who interject whiney idealistic politics into their storyline. There are a few references by Dunne and his parents that garnered eye-rolls and some "Good Lords" out of me, but they were brief and I was grateful.

All-in-all, though, Half Nelson was exceptional. A commanding story that showcases the magnificent talent of its actors. Shareeka Epps turns in a wonderful performance that earned her (and co-star Gosling) top honours at the 2007 Independent Spirit Awards. Nelson isn't for everyone...so watch at your own risk. However, it undeniably grabs it's audience with raw and powerful emotion and doesn't let go. Superb. 4 Stars.