Half Nelson DVD Review
Posted by Tony Farinella on 02.16.2007
Ryan Gosling gives the best performance of his career in Half Nelson!
Half Nelson follows in the great tradition of films that examine the complex relationship of teacher and student. It follows the tradition of films such as Dead Poets Society, Dangerous Minds, and even Mr. Holland's Opus. The latest actor to tackle this genre is the talented and versatile Ryan Gosling. I've often said that Ryan Gosling is the Sean Penn of his generation. His films might not always be the best (Stay,The United States of Leland), but you know he'll sink his teeth into whatever role he's given. He's an actor who is better than his films. He can also do romantic work such as The Notebook with real life girlfriend Rachel McAdams. The scary part about Gosling is that he's only going to get better as he gets older. The sky really is the limit for Ryan Gosling in terms of his career. He's in control of his own destiny.
Half Nelson is a film that truly proves the power of Independent Cinema when done right. All you really need is a camera, good actors, and a good screenplay. I know it sounds cliche, but it's so true. I think that gets overlooked a lot of times by studios and filmmakers. They spend way too much time worrying about location, special effects, and explosions. At the end of the day, it's all about great story-writing and great characters. All you have to do is put the camera on a good actor and let them do their thing. They can't do their job if you are over-stuffing them with background noise and gimmicks. If you think about it, quality film-making is simple. Look no further than Crash and Million Dollar Baby . Both films won the Best Picture at The Academy Awards. It shows that people remember characters and people more than explosions and CGI. We want to see real people dealing with real problems and situations. It's old fashioned Hollywood craftsmanship.
We open up our film following Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) preparing for his day as a junior high school teacher in the inner-city. When he's not teaching, he's battling a serious drug problem on the side. He does his best to keep it under the radar from his students. In his spare time, he teaches girls basketball at the same high school. This leads him to trouble when Drey (Shareeka Epps) catches him in the bathroom doing drugs. The two then form an unlikely and unique friendship through his secret. They start to hang out and Dan almost becomes a father figure to her. This does not sit well with Frank (Anthony Mackie), who is also trying to be a father figure to Drey. Drey is in need of a father figure with her mother working insane hours and her brother in jail. Frank owes Drey a lot because her brother prevented Frank from attending prison. He is not pleased when Dan shows up and spends a lot of time with her. Frank is not exactly the ideal father figure for Drey either. He's a small time drug-dealer who is attempting to lead Drey down the wrong path.
Dan has a unique and ingenious way of reaching his students at this troubled school. His teaching techniques are not by-the-book or normal. He encourages the students to think outside of the box. The children enjoy Dan because he speaks their language and knows how to talk to them. He might have his issues, but he's very street smart. The school board is enraged that Dan that doesn't use the book to teach his students. He doesn't want his students to just follow a basic format laid out for them in a book. He wants them to question things and come up with their own conclusions. Because of his unique style of teaching, he doesn't make any friends with the other teachers in the break room. They look at him like he's from some third world country. They think he's flat out of his mind. He walks a fine line of being brilliant and crazy at the same time. I'm not sure he even knows if he's brilliant or crazy. He might be the smartest teacher alive or the craziest teacher alive. At the end of the day, the students really do care about him. He must be doing something right.
I think by now everyone knows the star of this film is Ryan Gosling. He might be the star, but Shareeka Epps is the real surprise of this film. Epps does a skillful job of portraying a character that is wise beyond her years. She's been through a lot and has grown up really fast. Because of this, she's extremely independent and doesn't need help from anyone. She just rides her bike around the neighborhood and minds her own business. You could even say she looks beyond her years. She gives off gruff and rough facial reactions during the course of this film. I just hope Shareeka Epps doesn't get overlooked in this film. Gosling is the star, but she's the glue that keeps the film together. Anthony Mackie continues his string of strong work as the troubled but loving Frank. He comes off as sincere, but can you really trust him? Anthony Mackie is definitely an actor to look for in the future. He's come a long way since his small role in Million Dollar Baby. I think this is the type of film that will jump star the careers of Epps and Mackie.
Half Nelson is a film that I think will polarize audiences right down the middle. Some might find it boring, tedious, and irritating. Others might find it brilliant, groundbreaking, and well-acted. I think it's one of the best films of the year. This is a film that reminded me of why I love going to the movies. I was depressed and angry after sitting through such summer dreck as Miami Vice and Superman Returns. Half Nelson reawakened the movie spirit inside of me. It reminded me of the magic that can unfold on screen right before our very eyes. This is the kind of film that will leave you talking about it for hours after it's over. You might also want to be left alone so you can have a day or two with your thoughts on the film. Either way, it will get you talking. Half Nelson is a brave piece of film-making that I won't soon forget. As far as Ryan Gosling, I look forward to his next project. I'd like to see what he can do with a director like Scorsese or Eastwood. It would be a thing of beauty.
DVD Info:
Half Nelson comes on a single disc release from Sony Pictures. We get subtitles in English and Spanish. The film is also mastered in High Definition. You also get Dolby Digital sound. It's presented in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Wide-screen. This film looks fantastic on DVD. I think this type of film is perfectly suited for DVD.
Special Features:
Commentary with Half Nelson director-writer Ryan Fleck and co-writer-producer-editor Anna Boden: This is a very informative commentary track that explains a lot of questions I had about the film. Anna and Ryan are relaxed and subdued in explaining a lot of the details of the film. They discuss a lot of the extreme methods that Ryan Gosling went to in order to properly portray this character. It would have made Brando proud.
Deleted/Extended Scenes: We get to take a glance at three deleted scenes that total 3 minutes in running time. The only scene worth mentioning is the aftermath of Drey catching Dan doing drugs in the bathroom. It might explain their relationship a little bit better. We also get to look at some extended scenes as well. The extended scenes run at about the same time as the deleted scenes.
Outtakes: This shows off the considerable charms of Mr. Gosling when dealing with the kids on set. This runs at 7 minutes.
Rhymefest music video for "Wanted."
The 411: If you consider yourself a smart filmgoer, you should really seek out Half Nelson . This film deserves an audience. Ryan Gosling leads a terrific cast in a film that offers no easy answers regarding life. The DVD is bland, but the film itself is worth owning. This is the kind of performance that will be talked about for years to come.
