In Half Nelson, directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden do a good job of creating a sympathetic character out of a Brooklyn drug addict. A far cry from the lovable boyfriend he played in The Notebook, Ryan Gosling's middle school history teacher is a badass who only has (bloodshot) eyes for his drug of choice, heroin.
The crux of the film's narrative is the interplay between Dan (Gosling) and one of his students, Drey (Shareeka Epps). After Drey catches him getting high in a school bathroom, an unlikely friendship develops between the pair. They come to realize that their problematic lives, both dependent on drugs in different ways, stand to be helped by their connection to each other.
The film takes the moviegoer on each of their journeys separately at first, and stays away from passing judgment. The daily grind of Dan's life as an addict plays against Drey's gig packaging and delivering heroin for a family friend, Frankie (Anthony Mackie). Both Dan and Frankie are ad hoc father figures who fight to protect.
Nelson works largely because Gosling and Epps work flawlessly together. Anthony Mackie, in addition to his good looks, adds more than the typical thug element to his drug-dealing character, playing both the enemy and the best friend to all. But Gosling's acting is the highlight here. He sets the bar for the rest of the cast, and those around him rise to the challenge.
—Krista Vitola
