Half Nelson

Even if you're sure you've had enough of indie dramas about drug addicts that all too often serve as showcases for young actors hoping to prove their chops by getting raw, make an exception for this superb drama from New York-based filmmakers Ryan Flek and Anna Boden (YOUNG REBELS). In addition to an inspired and, yes, raw performance by Ryan Gosling, the film centers on a beautifully rendered friendship between his character, an drug-addicted Brooklyn history teacher in a predominantly black junior high school, and a 13-year-old student that's as unexpected as it is touching. To all outward appearances, Dan Dunne (Gosling) is a model teacher: In addition to an enthu...