Half Nelson

Right, lest you think that I like nearly every movie I see, I must first say that the truth is, the good movies are the only ones I generally feel compelled to write about. Of course, that said, it is also true that I can find something redeeming in a huge percentage of the movies I watch. But then again, I'm not hitting the cinemas every weekend to shell out £8 on the latest big budget money-maker from the states...

I'm not sure why I'm going on about all this. I watched the movie "Half Nelson" the other night, and it's stuck with me like a hearty oatmeal spiked with razorblades. It's stuck with me in a way that no movie has in a long while. The more I think about it, the more impressed I am with it and its sort of pitch-perfect approach to incredibly rough subject matter. I've not been as moved by the climax of a film in a very, very long time (in fact I can't remember when I've been so moved), and I honestly can't remember another time that I've been moved to tears by a film and not felt at least a little bit ashamed or manipulated. This movie made me cry rich, wholesome tears I could be proud of, which were not brought about by the slightest tinge of sentimentality. It's not a pleasant thing; it's a squirming thing, but it is brilliantly executed.