Awesome Movie! “Half Nelson” is a spare, original story with exquisitely natural and fresh performances delivered by Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps and Anthony Mackie. Moving and thought-provoking – This film will you change you. The litmus of test of good art is in how it affects you.
Sometimes people are attracted to each other because of their differences. When there’s a nebulous attraction between a teacher and a young teenage child – as in the superb Half Nelson – the relationship has all the makings of confused disaster. Dan is an idealistic history teacher in an inner-city school. Drey is one of his brightest students. For both, drugs represent something that may help them escape their worlds. He takes drugs to dull his dissatisfaction with himself. She views drugs as a possible way to better her life, even though she knows her brother’s foray into that trade landed him in jail.