Half
Nelson (**)
review by Jon
Waterman
Dan isn’t just one of the most popular teachers in school;
he’s also their women’s basketball coach. Drey
is the reclusive student that Dan tries to inspire, either
in the classroom, on the court or both. It doesn’t seem
to be working. That is until she finds her teacher/coach in
a bathroom stall after a game shooting up heroin. The two find
an alliance and reliance, using each other as support for their
shortcomings. But is it possible for a drug-addicted teacher
to keep his student from selling the stuff that, as he puts
it, helps him get through the day?
It sounds a little like an after school special with a twist,
doesn’t it? Well, luckily for us, it’s able to
completely separate itself from that mode. Unfortunately, it’s
not really able to break away from looking and feeling like
a slightly glorified student film. Director Ryan Fleck (who
co-wrote the film with producer/editor Anna Boden) needs to
learn to break away from his handi-cam ways. Shot handheld,
I have never seen film look so much like digital video in my
life. The cinematography is simply disgusting considering it
was shot on Super 16mm. As if the coloring and the overexposure
wasn't enough, the film likes to play for the small screen
rather than aspire for the
big.
There’s
a lot of shakiness, a lot of orange (exaggerated from the horrible
lack of color balance) and a lot of close-ups that we really
don’t
need to see. The story feels like a thesis project as well,
until
about
a halfway
through the last act.
So, is the film even worth watching? Yeah, it is. Because
if you’re able to stick with it through the end, it works
itself out, moving past the director’s technical faults.
Fleck did do a great job with the actors, however, considering
that they carry the picture for quite a while. Ryan Gosling
and Shareeka Epps (guess who plays whom!) work well as a team
together they give the film a soul and character that other
actors would not be able to provide.
I think I was just hoping for a little bit more than what
I got. I certainly would have loved to see more of Dan’s
relationship with his ex Rachel as well as more interaction
with the family he has largely alienated himself from. I feel
there would have been a lot of good moments that could come
from those dynamics that never panned out. But a lot of desires
were left unfulfilled. For example, the ending played it nice
and safe. As it stands, “Half Nelson” is really
only half good. I give it a “C.”
respond to jon@filmbrats.com
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