half nelson

I loved how understated this movie was. describing the movie to a friend afterwards, I suddenly realized it had no plot, and I hadn't even noticed. most of the characters and dialogue feel excruciatingly real, particularly the scenes in the high school staff room. Ryan Gosling's history teacher schools his young, captive audience with sophisticated philosophical and political ideas, and has no interest whatsoever in self-improvement. Shareeka Epps rises to the challenge, matching Gosling's star presence with her own inscrutable gazing and tough exterior.