Half Nelson

ryan gosling deserves to be in a movie where he isn’t depressed all the time

Damn I thought ryan was gonna have like a dead poets society thing going with those kids

this shit is fucking dynamite

Been putting this one off for a long time after watching Detachment, assuming they’d be fairly similar.

Turns out they kinda are. It’s not a like-for-like situation, but the themes definitely rhyme. It doesn’t help that Half Nelson isn’t quite as good as that film; I cared less about the characters and the creative execution just simply wasn't as strong. That said, I was a big fan of the ending - with characters finding strength in connection as opposed to complete absolution. It’s a realistic take on genuine struggle and addiction.

Ryan Gosling doesn’t really do these kinds of roles anymore; he’s spoken openly about why, and I get it, so it’s cool to revisit his older work. No matter the film, you can always rely on him to deliver. Also, Anthony Mackie just doesn’t age? I’ve seen him across his entire filmography and he looks exactly the same - it's crazy. He’s great in this, too.

Glad to finally tick this one off after it stared at me from the watchlist for years. It wasn’t as impactful as I’d hoped, but it’s still a sad, albeit worthwhile, journey.

A film that had a lot of opportunities to lean into cliches, but didn’t. It’s slow, but subtle, especially in its character driven storytelling. An indie drama that’s genuine in its portrayal of addiction.

7

RAW. RAW CAMERA WORK. RAW STORY. RAWDOGGING THE HELL OUT OF GOSLING.

8.3/10, the little girl was great too.