"Half Nelson" review

Half Nelson (The Dialectic Of Film)

DIALECTIC: The Hegelian process of change in which a concept or its realization passes over into and is preserved or fulfilled by its opposite;also: the critical investigation of this process (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition,2003.)

One of the things that makes us human is our ability to distance ourselves from our own behavior. This ability allows us to do horrible things to ourselves and others, yet not let those things move us to act differently. We are capable of astounding levels of self-destruction. We are also capable of the opposite – the creation and appreciation of beauty, in ourselves and others.
Daniel Dunne (Ryan Gosling), the protagonist of the movie “Half Nelson”, is a teacher in the inner city who epitomizes the Hegelian struggle. Just as he offers his students a glimpse into how dialectics and history collide and collapse into each other, his own idealism collapses under the weight of the cynical world in which he lives. His idealistic heart crushed, melted and inhaled through a pipe or a straw. His cynical mind challenged by his students, particularly Dree (Shareeka Epps), a witness to his otherwise internal struggle.
History repeats. History repeats. Like a heart beats. As Daniel Dunne, Gosling gives a nuanced and unforgettable performance. It could have come off as a ‘crackhead with a heart of gold’ cliché, but Gosling fully gets the complex nature – the dialectics of Daniel – of his character. Shareeka Epps has the natural grace to portray Dree in a subtle yet powerful way. That she is new to the acting game makes her performance all the more amazing. Anthony Mackie displays his own brilliance as both protector and user (she becomes his drug deliverer) of Dree.
The film is both heartbreaking and a triumph. A rare look at the complexities of addiction -- how insight can sometimes blind us from the bigger picture.