Half Nelson

Half Nelson (2006)

Ryan Fleck's feature film debut tells the story of an unlikely friendship that helps a self-destructive educator pull it together. In his struggle to balance his personal and professional lives, inner-city teacher Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling, in an Oscar-nominated role) spends most of his time nursing hangovers. But who could've known that a life-changing lesson would come from one of his students (Shareeka Epps)? Gosling and Epps both won Independent Spirit awards for their lead roles.

My Two Cents: There's nothing subtle about its preachiness, or more importantly, the way Gosling's and Epps' powerfully complementary performances personify the film's running theme.

NetFlix Rank: Really Liked It
IMDB Rank: 8/10