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Half Nelson

2006

Ryan Fleck

Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie, Monique Gabriela Curnen ...

6.4

8,739

Drama Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a young inner-city junior high school teacher whose ideals wither and die in the face of reality. Day after day in his shabby Brooklyn classroom, he somehow finds the energy to inspire his teenagers. Though Dan is brilliant, dynamic, and in control in the classroom, he spends his time outside school on the edge of consciousness. His disappointments and disillusionment have led to a serious drug habit. He ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Manohla Dargis The New York Times	"What makes 'Half Nelson' both an unusual and an exceptional American film (...) is its insistence on political consciousness as a moral imperative."	POS
United Kingdom	Andrew Pulver The Guardian	"Dunne is an enjoyable and impressive creation (...) 'Half Nelson's aim is never quite so confident when it comes to the social or political implications of what it highlights (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United States	Ann Hornaday The Washington Post	"[Ryan Fleck] filmed much of the movie with a hand-held camera in Brooklyn, lending the production a verite immediacy. Nearly every scene rings with its own ragged truth."	POS
United States	Dennis Harvey Variety	"Avoiding rote inspirational notes as well as boyz-in-the-hood violence, scrupulously low-key drama nonetheless builds to a powerful impact."	POS
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"[A] miraculous movie (...) [Gosling] is one of the finest actors working in contemporary movies (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Scott Tobias AV Club	"It's a remarkably subtle performance [by Gosling], supported by Fleck and Boden's insistence on keeping the drama low-key and cutting scenes several beats before they drift into false clashes or sentimentality."	POS

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