Username Password Remember me Forgot password?

Wanna join? Sign up

Find movies you'll love

Half Nelson (2006)

Want to see it?

Seen it?

0
1
2
3
4
5
Rate this movie.

Write a review

Recommend it

Rent it, watch it, find it

All reviews for Half Nelson

Spout Mavens Disc #14, Part 2 o ...
by rik_tod in The Cinema 4 Pylon: SpOutpost

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Director: Ryan Fleck0:19, colorCinema 4 Rating: 7Half Nelson? What is that? A documentary about only one of Ricky Nelson’s offspring in a particularly ridiculous hair band from the ‘80s showing up for a gig?Ah, I know what Half Nelson is… I just haven’t seen it yet. Even Oscar-nominated for Ryan Gosling’s performance and all that, I haven’t seen it. Even with a crack-smokin’ teacher and all that, I haven’t seen it. Honestly, it just didn’t sound like subject matter in which I would be particularly interested.Then, without ever knowing the connection, I watched Gowanus, Brooklyn, the second of sixteen short films on the Shorts! Volume 3 DVD collection. Apparently, the film basically served as a demo reel for director Ryan Fleck to get a fleshed-out feature version with these characters made, the film we now know as Half Nelson. But I did not know this fact as I watched Gowanus, Brooklyn. I do not like to read the backs of DVDs b ... " [More]

Abby likes short shorts!
by indieabby88 in Bloggish review blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Far from the inconsistency and general disappointment of Shorts! Vol. 2, Shorts! Vol. 3 is chock-full of funny, beautiful and fascinating films that, in many cases, made me hungry for more. The standout comedies are a pair of short films by different directors about Ninjas. I knew I was in for a treat with Steven Tsuchida's "A Ninja Pays Half My Rent," (His surreal comedic short "Spam-Ku" is a favorite of mine) and he didn't disappoint. Tsuchida is really great at weird, funny, punchy dialogue; and come on, who doesn't enjoy watching a good ninja smackdown? "The Climactic Death of Dark Ninja" is an even more entertaining thirteen-minute piece about a group of aspiring filmmakers trying for the perfect re-shoot of the key scene of their kung-fu film. Think Wes Anderson meets "Son of Rambow." Anyone who's ever tried shooting an "epic masterpiece" on a home camcorder (or known someone who has) will find "Dark Ninja" hits painfully (and delightfully) close to home. I also loved Eva Sak ... " [More]

No redemption and that's fine
by chrismorrell in chrismorrell Blog

liked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Grabbing a cliche..this is truly heartwarming..shows true friendship/connection,whatever you want to call it...A slice of life,(there's another cliche for you),that takes you to the brink of "the dark side",but pulls back,as we look in on these characters. I found myself hoping,all the way through this that it wouldnt seek a "redemption" for the character,wouldnt try to "close" the story. I found myself relieved,and gladdened that all is unresolved. Not everyones cup of tea,obviously.Not a "big" film,but a signature performance from writer/director and main player. Probably a one-off. " [More]

Armond White Gets METROPOLITAN, ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"In honor of the 75th anniversary of the New York Film Critics Circle, this year’s New Directors/New Films festival will devote a week of matinees to previous NYFCC Best Director winners, selected and presented by current members of the critics group. The can’t-miss of the lineup looks to be the infamously contrarian Armond White’s presentation of Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan, which takes place on April 1. The other critics are David Fear, Marshall Fine, Lisa Schwarzbaum and Peter Travers; the other films are Half Nelson, Big Night, Frozen River and In the Company of Men. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog " [More]

Half Nelson Feels Like Half a M ...
by pippin06 in Reel Thoughts

is neutral about it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Now that the fall TV season (and the fall theatrical season) is underway, my film consumption is probably going to decrease dramatically for a while...at least until reruns and down times. I've officially been a Netflix member for a year, though, and love it to pieces and so my weekly movie should still be in tact. The AFI Project might slow to a crawl, but that's ok. I need to catch up on more recent films, especially since Oscar season is right around the corner (woo hoo!). Of course, I'm still catching up on Oscar seasons past. Hence my Netflix movie of the week: Half Nelson. This film only came under my radar because Ryan Gosling was nominated for Best Actor for his role in this film. He didn't win, but no matter - I like to watch these films, where a performance or two may have been nominated even if the film itself was not, to see if I can see what the Academy saw at the time. Gosling's performance was good - even great. Unfortunately, the film he put so much heart a ... " [More]

Armond White Gets METROPOLITAN, ...
by Karina in Karina on SpoutBlog

hasn't rated it.

Spout Mavens Review #13(Part Tw ...
by TheWorkingDead in TheWorkingDead Blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"It's going to be almost impossible for me to really, fairly review Gowanus, Brooklyn. As a short film, a visual short story with beginning, middle and end, it's a horrible failure. And yet it's also a complete success, as a compelling piece of drama, a showcase for some good acting on the half of some previously unknown talent, and as a glimpse into the abilities of a talented young filmmaker trying to show the world what he can do. I'm sorry, that last bit might seem hyperbolic, but it's also true, and it needs to be noted because of the success he has with his attempts. Director Ryan Fleck intended this film as the feature-length it would eventually become, 'Half Nelson', and filmed a 25 minute short film/segment to drum up interest and financing. That he eventually succeeded, to critical acclaim, needs to be considered before judging the merits of this film alone.Stranded at school when her brother fails to pick her up, Drey heads back inside to use the gym's restroom facilities ... " [More]

Interview: Leah Meyerhoff Bring ...
by thefilmpanelnotetaker in thefilmpanelnotetaker Blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"On Saturday, Brooklyn, NY-based filmmaker Leah Meyerhoff will be heading to Beantown to present a retrospective of her short films at the Brattle Theatre during the Boston Underground Film Festival. I had the great pleasure to hang out with Leah recently during the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, Texas. I first became familiar with Leah’s work at a screening of short films at the Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series last year where I saw the music video she directed, Team Queen. Soon after, I watched her Student Academy-Award nominated short Twitch, which has played in over 200 film festivals around the world and won numerous awards. Last night, I spoke with Leah about her upcoming trip to Boston and what people can expect there, as well as what’s going on with her feature film in development, Unicorns, and other defining moments in her young career.[More]

And the point is?
by hiccupboro in hiccupboro Blog

lost interest.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Overhyped. Too long. Might have worked better as a short film. Worst DVD cover ever. " [More]

Half Nelson
by KatiesFlicks in KatiesFlicks Blog

liked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Pushing Back while Pulling Forward. Half Nelson is a movie worth your time to watch. It doesn’t begin at the beginning of anything, and it certainly doesn’t end when the movie credits rolls. It shows a glimpse into the lives of two believable people, both at major crossroads of their lives. Dan Dunne is an inner city History teacher and girl’s basketball coach. He finds a lot of time to be a major crack addict with a crazy nightlife. He has no friends, no girlfriend, but several one-night-stands. However, he is an amazing and engaging teacher. He will not stick to the provided curriculum, but prefers instead to teach that “history is change” and referencing Hegelian themes. A tree is both strong and weak, both crooked and straight. This is the perfect explanation for Dan’s own life. He is neither the hero, nor the villain of the story. He is not a good guy with a drug addiction, nor is he a bad guy who has a few good qualities. Drey is ... " [More]

Movies: Search movies; In theaters; Coming soon; New on DVD; Coming to DVD; Trailers; Downloads

People: Search people; Find friends; Mavens; What's a maven; Most active; Top bloggers; Top listers; Taggers

Groups: Search groups; Create a group; Genres; Discussions; Popular groups; List activity; Most movies; Most talkative

Reviews: Write a review; Spoutblog reviews; Community reviews; Maven reviews

Podcast: Subscribe

News: Lists; Hollywood; Classics; Indie; Interviews; Festivals

About us: Jobs; Advertise with us; Promote your film; Contests; SpoutNews; Newsletters

Contact us: Media contacts; Feedback; Customer care; Become a Spout tester

Movies
New movies , classic movies, blockbusters and independent films are all fair game in our movie community. Writing movie reviews, watching movie trailers and getting recommendations from our movie ratings is a game to us. The goal? Finding new movies to love.

Privacy

Help

Site map