HALF NELSON is a small cinematic miracle - a film of such honesty that it challenges the boundaries of narrative film and cinéma vérité. Ryan Fleck-s directorial debut is an absorbing tale of demons and dreams, and the film compels us to consider role models in the real world, and who we look up to in the unlikeliest of friendships. Ryan Gosling's inspired performance proves once and again that he is a force among the actors of his generation, and Shareeka Epps' brilliant debut stands tall among the best of the year.
