Half Nelson

Jun 1 2007 By Graham Young, Birmingham Mail

FRACTURE star Ryan Gosling won a best actor Oscar nomination for this movie - but this exploration of an addictive stranglehold is only getting a brief run out at the MAC from today till Sunday, and at Warwick Arts Centre on Wednesday and Thursday.

Why? Although Gosling's performance as drug-addicted teacher Dan Dunne is terrific, not much happens to satisfy mainstream audiences eager for microwave-ready violent confrontation.

Half Nelson was directed in just three weeks by little known Ryan Fleck, who'd won a prize for an earlier short on a similar theme - Gowanus, Brooklyn.

Look out for a quite beautiful supporting performance from Shareeka Epps as the 13-year-old student who discovers Dan is risking his career by night while trying to inspire youngsters by day.

The essence or their pupil-teacher relationship is as well-balanced as Half Nelson's non-cliched ability to dovetail everything from war to family values and the merits of think-for-yourself education throughout the 107-minute running time.