Half Nelson

In "Half Nelson," Ryan Gosling plays a drug-addled teacher who finds unexpected salvation of sorts in the form of a student desperately in need of a father figure, or at least a good friend.

The role turns out to be an ironic one, since Gosling's performance is one of the things that saves the movie from itself. This downbeat drama is neither as original nor as important as it clearly believes it is.

However, the movie does feature several terrific performances, especially by Gosling ("The Notebook"), whose star is continuing to rise.

He stars as Dan Dunne, a junior high school teacher and girls basketball coach with some big ideas, and whose parents have even bigger expectations of him. Dan's father and mother (Jay O. Sanders and Deborah Rush) are former hippies who pretty much expect him to help save the world.

Perhaps that's one of the reasons he's turned to drugs for solace. He's using cocaine in the girls restroom when he's discovered by Drey (newcomer Shareeka Epps), one of his players.

Drey agrees to keep Dan's drug use a secret. He in turn agrees to help the young teen with her studies. He also tries to keep Drey from falling under the influence of Frank (Anthony Mackie, from the recent "Crossover"), a friend of her family whose intentions may be sinister.

Director Ryan Fleck and his co-screenwriter Anna Boden clearly have some big things to say about race relations in America and the prevalence of supposed "recreational" drug use. But their most convincing arguments are those that deal with bureaucracy in the educational system.

Some of the subplots dealing with Dan's personal life are less than convincing and probably should have been cut so more time could be spent with Drey before she and Dan reach their "agreement."

Thanks to Epps' solid performance, she's a compelling character. And her relationship with Gosling's troubled teacher and with Mackie's charismatic drug dealer are very believable.

As for Gosling, this is the kind of acting work that gets noticed (he already won an award at the Seattle Film Festival), and it certainly bodes well for his future projects.

"Half Nelson" is rated R for some strong drug content (cocaine use and references), strong sexual language (mostly profanity), simulated sex, a brief scene of violence and use of racial epithets. Running time: 106 minutes.

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E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com